Looking beyond smartcities: Cities for citizens:

Cities are our future. Ninety percent of the world's population growth is expected to take place in cities. Not only are cities becoming bigger, they are also becoming more complex and changing even more rapidly.
The concept of sustainable cities is a function of the human dimension or scale of cities. The paradigm is based on understanding that first is the life of the people who inhabit the cities, then the space they occupy and, finally, the buildings and its current technology. From this inclusive approach planning should always start from the people.
It is essential to understand that what is required, today, are more human and inclusive cities that offer public spaces that facilitate and guarantee the fulfillment of the rights and freedoms of all people. In Latin America, 80% of citizens live in cities, so we must think about how to humanize the scale of the city.
We are investigating how new models for urban architecture can be more responsive to the unique needs and values of individuals through the application of disentangled systems and smart customization. We are developing technology to understand and respond to human activity, environmental conditions, and market dynamics. We are interested in finding optimal combinations of automated systems, just-in-time information for personal control, and interfaces to persuade people to adopt sustainable behaviors.
A double reflection on the dimension of humanized cities comes in thinking: what makes a city smart?