How Urban Tech Increases Corporate Control w/ David Banks

Paris Marx is joined by David Banks to discuss how tech solutions to increase corporate control in cities will be sold to us as fun and convenient, and what that will actually means for access and equity in urban life.

David Banks is a visiting assistant professor at the University at Albany. He’s the editor-at-large at Real Life, and has written for The Baffler, e-flux architecture, and Current Affairs. Follow David on Twitter as @DA_Banks.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Read David’s articles for Real Life on the subscriber city and e-flux architecture on software as infrastructure.
• Paris wrote about the end of the Paramount Decrees, including what it could mean for the future of cinemas.
• How people are fighting back against landlords attempts to use tech against tenants (“proptech”).
• Slavoj Žižek gives a father/son example of totalitarianism (from ~0:00-3:00).
• David Harvey’s “Right to the City” essay mentions how homeownership makes people more conservative.
• Red Vienna remains a great example of public housing.
• Kevin Rogan wrote about how smart-city technologies are designed to hide human labor.
• Books in this show: “Radicalized” by Cory Doctorow, “Urban Warfare” by Raquel Rolnik, “Capital City” by Samuel Stein, and “Loft Living” by Sharon Zukin