Frankenstein Urbanism is a book that tells the story of visionary urban experiments, shedding light on the theories that preceded their development and on the monsters that followed and might be the end of our cities. The narrative is threefold and delves first into the eco-city, second the smart city and third the autonomous city intended as a place where existing smart technologies are evolving into artificial intelligences that are taking the management of the city out of the hands of humans.

Frankenstein Urbanism is both an examination of the evolution of urban experimentation through the lens of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and a warning about an urbanism whose product resembles Frankenstein’s monster: a fragmented entity which escapes human control and human understanding. In this talk, the author will present the book, introduce the end of the city thesis and answer your questions.

Federico Cugurullo is an Assistant Professor in Smart and Sustainable Urbanism at Trinity College Dublin. His current research explores how artificial intelligence is impacting on urban governance and planning, thereby influencing the sustainability of cities. He is the author of Frankenstein Urbanism (Routledge 2021) and a co-editor of Inside Smart Cities (Routledge 2019). Before joining Trinity College Dublin, Federico held positions at the University of Manchester and King’s College London.