REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY DIGITAL PLACEMAKING AT THE EDGE STEPHEN HILTON, DIGITAL PLACEMAKING FELLOW AND DIRECTOR, CITY GLOBAL FUTURES LTD

FUNDED BY THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES CLUSTERS PROGRAMME MANAGED BY THE ARTS & HUMANITIES RESEARCH COUNCIL AS PART OF THE INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

SEPTEMBER 2020 REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS SECTION 7.2 (iii) 7,2 (ii) 7.2 (I) 6.2 4.4 4.3 4.2 5.4 5.3 5.2 3.3 3.2 6.1 4.1 5.1 3.1 .2 7. 7.1 8 7 6 5 4 2 1 A Final Word Keeping itEdgy Communities with anEdge Edge Computing, the Community Cloudwithasilver lining Powering upthe Edges Framing the Conclusion Conclusion: DigitalPlacemaking atthe Edge Hey Siri,Hey Bristol!Hey KnowleWest! Hey Filwood! Hey World! Thoughts onRe-localising Section C:Re-localising the Internet Visions ofthe DigitalCity From the Local tothe Global Extract ofourConnecting BristolVision(2004) Scattering myownBreadcrumbsScattering Section B:Connecting Bristol We startedwiththe Copper Wire butthen weFound the Electricity The BeneathourFeet: DigitalCity infrastructure re-purposing forinnovation An Evolving DigitalBristolTimeline Capturing the Stories Section A:StoriesofBristolasaDigitalCity List ofDigitalPlacemaking Fellows List ofInterviewees The Research Approach About the Fellowship Introduction Contents Executive Summary HEADING PAGE 9-10

30 30 30 29 29 28 28 25 24 24

18 17 17 17 14 19 11 8 8 7 7 7 6 5 CONTENTS 2 REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY has taken place during 2019/20.has taken placeduring output ofhisFellowship, which final studyas the this authored Pathfinder. and Hehas researched Creative R+D Bristol+Bath the Fellow onPlacemaking Industry isaDigital Hilton Stephen REBOOTING THEDIGITAL CITY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DIGITAL PLACEMAKING AT THE EDGE even have achoice aboutwhether toconnect. abhorrence ofDigitalpoverty, where peopledonot worse, the pandemichas madevisibleagainthe panopticon ofourownchoosing. Perhaps of the Internet,locked intoadigitallyenabled Conversely, ithas feltattimeslike weareprisoners enabled window. and experienced through aZoom/Teams/Skype the home through copper, fibreandwireless networks politics, money andcrime–alldeliveredtofrom leisure, shopping, culture,health, socialcare,love, in asthe physicalretreated.Work, city school, family, and connected.The has DigitalCity arguably stepped the pandemic,keeping manypeople working, talking The Internethas provided during alifelinetosociety challenges that have arisen. focus anddirectiontorespondthe opportunities and and iterative approach tohis Fellowship; realigning Digital transformation. The author has taken aflexible emergency, aswellaperiodofunprecedentedrapid the pandemic,BlackLivesMatter, andthe climate It has beenaperiodofconsiderable globalcrises,

longevity andconvening power. beneathourfeet,which ishiddenCity from viewbuthas Digital infrastructure. We areremindedofthe Digital Some ofthese stories highlight the importanceoflocal so that the commonthreads canbeidentified. and down,lestitisdeleted oroverwritten written of Local History, which should becapturedand asanimportantsubsetpositions DigitalHistory post-Facebook orthe iPhone. However, the study global technology milestones,suchaspre-or be easytomeasureacity’s progress against Bristol has developed asaDigitalCity. Itwould The first sectionofthe studycapturesstoriesofhow initiativesinBristoloveraperiod of20years.City Fellows andhis activeinvolvementinnumerous Digital diverse anddynamiccohort ofDigitalPlacemaking study alsodraws on the author’s collaboration witha andDigitalPlacemaking inBristol.TheDigital City of the wasthe interviews pastandthe futureofthe would usethis term todescribethemselves. The focus number ofdigitalleaders from Bristol;notingthat few This studyconsiders the viewsandexperiences ofa

projects, which becameincreasingly embeddedin After passingthrough ofcreativeDigital awidevariety test-beds.super connectedcity touch screenkiosks, openwirelessmesh networks and that multipletimes,tosupport has beenre-purposed aweb of pipes,ductsandcablesRediffusion network, development ofpirate then radio and the community experiment inlocalcableTVbroadcasting; the The heads story through the BristolChannel, anearly exists inthe centreofBristol. exchange onTelephone Avenue, alandmarkthat still with the openingofthe first poweredtelephone battery overdecades.Thescattered journey startsin1900 trail ofBristolDigital Breadcrumbs that have been Through the research,the author has assembleda is the and excitement sparkofelectricity itcanignite. highlighting that whilst the infrastructure isimportant,so experimentation. Other storiesarequitepersonal, tosupportnew is rediscoveredandre-purposed important toBristol’s development asthe infrastructure It inspiresideasandways ofworking that have been

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY The finalsectionasks whether itistimetore-localise it withaglobalnarrative ofthe SmartCity. control from the andreplaced local community a widerglobalcontext, which has taken away for this, includingthe prioritiesof Funders and The studyidentifiesacomplex setofreasons articulated atacitywide level. been lessclearlycaptured,measured,andconsistently with afewnotableexceptions, valuehas community whereas,economic impactofBristolasaDigitalCity particularly notablethat there isclearevidence ofthe this Visionweretaken morethan forward others. Itis the author explores how andwhy someaspectsof the context ofthe pandemic.Through the interviews developed in2004butseemspowerfully relevant in Bristol, aVisionforthe that futureDigitalCity was The secondsection ofthe studystartswithConnecting Digital experiments. bringing uptodateechoes ofprevious collaborative Bristol ArtsChannel, launched duringthe pandemicand the physicalenvironment, city the endswiththe story

focus onceitreboots. The overall proposition isthat than stopped,creatingthe totake opportunity anew of the pandemic, the machine has paused,rather The conclusionofthe reportis that asaconsequence are. you world the in wherever person, local a with its neighbourhoods andasawaytoalways connect andboth morejoinedupconversations acity between easy tofindpurposefulways tousetimeandallowing wayfinding;making it local mapsandtime-sensitive of behaviour; connectingpeoplethrough newhyper to localspending;incentivisingsustainablemodels of responsesranging from, connectinglocalpeople of ‘Hey Siri’. This provocation elicitsaninteresting set for example, ifweweretosay, ‘Hey Bristol’instead about what couldentail, areallylocalisedDigital City The author tothink alsoinvitesinterviewees tangibly butisnotlocalorglobalboth. is noteither-or Bristol orempoweringcommunities?Perhaps the choice the wouldwebebuildingawallaround interviewees; explicitly creatinglocalvalue.It’s aquestionthat divides the Internet,bringinggreateragencyoveritandmore

their ownDigitalPlacemaking approach. other citiesandplacesmight starttobuild for Bristolbutalsotohighlight ways in which The aimisto sketch apossiblefuturedirection it Edgy. Computing, Communities withanEdge andKeeping the futurearepresentedunderthree headings, Edge fromand attention the centretothe margins. Ideasfor now isthe timetodecentralise, power, shifting focus

4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY machine was outof hand.machine the oneconfessed No INTRODUCTION E.M. Forster, (1909) The Machine Stops, Machine.” progress of the meanthe come to was decadence, and progress sinkinginto had far.of nature too andcomplacently, Quietly it over-reached riches itself.Ithadexploited the hadBut Humanity, comfort, in its desire for directions.those of aportion mastered ofthem had each successors andtheir full directions, it is true, They brains hadperished. hadleftThose master asawhole.monster was the onewhounderstood world there not the dutiesofhisneighbour, the understood andinall a manknew lesshe hisown dutiesuponit,the Thebetter anddecreased intelligence. efficiency Year by increased year with itwas served

1 rather than people being taken to things.” peoplebeingtaken to than rather Covid-19 have stoppedare predominantlycars and people working andconnected.The machines that been society’s lifelineduringlockdown, keeping many Amazon… the Wi-Fi? Still,the Internethas arguably - anyonehere know how tofixGoogle,Facebook, over ahundred years ago,givesus pauseforthought Forster’s dizzyingly prescientVision ofthe future,written people andthe planet.It’s certainlyatemptingidea! abandons the failedmachine, reconnectingwithother there isadramatic outpouringandthe mainprotagonist opens upandchange canhappen. InForster’s story, been lost.When Itstopscompletely, aninflectionpoint realise knowledge ofhow torepairithas longsince machine eventually malfunctionsandtoolate,people comforts andconvenienceitprovides. Of course, the shunned. Still,mostarehappy withthe machine andthe are deepunderground; human-to-human contactis Inevitably, peoplestopleavingtheir homes, which 1 evolved sothat systems, notdissimilar toAmazon andUber, have andanymore, except viavideoconference.Software around the worldalllookthe samesonoonevisits tomeetallofitsneedsandwants.Citiesplatform has grown dependentonasingle,globaltechnology a futurewhere oversuccessivegenerations, humanity E.M. Forster’s short story, The Machine Stops,imagines “The Machine Stops”,E.M.Forster, (Penguins Modernclassics),(2011) “things are brought people to “things

quote one interviewee inthisquote oneinterviewee study, and filledthe asthe gapleft physicalretreated.To city After years ofpromise, the has DigitalCity stepped-in planes rather than computers, servers andnetworks. to goon…” to now,mess right atleastsomework hasbeenable economy would the exist; didn’t Fi beinaterrible Wi- iPlayer; exist imagineifZoomdidn’t andthe exist didn’t or imagineifNetflix havedidn’t this, the idea,repurposeitandmake ittheir own. eco-system ofcollaborators who aredrawn to isownedby anyone, thenDigital City itisby the and outcomes.However, the strengthisthat ifthe making topindownspecific indicators itslippery This complexity isbothastrengthandweakness, plan, norisitthe ideaofoneleaderororganisation. defined, isnotthe product ofoneVision,strategy or What isclearthat the DigitalCity, however itis through the storiesandexamples that areexplored. within thisCity study. Iwouldrather itwasdefined adefinitionoftheI deliberately donot offer Digital by the expectation ofalways beingdigitallypresent. growing challenge, leavingsomefeelingexhausted to eradicate it.Conversely, isalsoa hyper-visibility abhorrent issuedespiteprevious Visionsthat sought Digital exclusion or“DigitalPoverty” remainsan However, this has notbeeneveryone’s experience.

“Imagine ifwe 5 REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY 5 4 3 2 (2020) Architects, Jeff Risom,Gehl solutions.” abouttheir companies tech to talking unlesswe are wordrarely hearthe efficient convenient, inviting andjoyful.comfort, We citizenswe– whenwe to hearwords talk like ideaofefficiency againstthe I push back In fact, inclusive, open,democratic andmore! Citieshave becreative, to way Smart In this needs. their responds to andits citizensandvisitors from learns Citythat Smart definitionof a the “I prefer ABOUT THEFELLOWSHIP Jeff Risom, Gehl ArchitectsJeff inconversation withStephen Hilton,(Feb 2020), https://www.architecturecentre.org.uk/2020/02/smart-cities-jeff-risom-gehl Watershed, Bristol, https://www.watershed.co.uk The Architecture Centre, Bristol,https://www.architecturecentre.org.uk A definitionof DigitalPlacemaking forurban regeneration”, Calvium, (2018), https://calvium.com/a-definition-of-digital-placemaking-for-urban-regeneration/ 2

where IamaTrustee andWatershed to create more create attractiveto all.” destinationsfor products orexperiences services, digital specific location- ofphysicalaugmentation places with that revolve around The Architecture Centre My aimwastoworkwiththe professional communities much. Idoubtitvery because itwashyper-efficient? anyone ever fallinlovewithBristol,oranywhere else, naturally usetodescribetheir local places.Did the languageofthe isnotonethat SmartCity people RisomfromAs Gehl Jeff Architects(above) observes of human overlooks. connectionsthe often Smart City I intendedtousemyFellowship to focusonthe type expanded definition, The Creative Clusters programme used aslightly the proponent, leadingIndustry defineitas, concept andmaybeunfamiliartomany. Calvium, Clusters R+DPathfinder. DigitalPlacemaking isanew Placemaking Fellow onthe Bristol+BathCreative In 2019, IsuccessfullyappliedtobecomeaDigital enhance the publicexperience ofplace.”enhance the andcreative improve solutionsto technology or kindsofcommunities, using digital different Placemakingare co-designedbyof digital people andplaces.We believe bestexamples the relationship betweenenhance anddeepenthe “Digital Placemakingaimsto“Digital 5 , mylong-term 4 “the ,

3

Cities” were collectively experiencing decadesofDigital a timetobeDigitalPlacemaking Fellow! We At the sametime,Icouldn’t help butthink -what my initialideasinthe context ofournewlivedreality. think againaboutthe Fellowship andfindawaytoset were lucky, agarden.Itwasclear that Ineededto space within the fourwallsoftheir home andifthey interaction withthe builtenvironment reducedtothe not publiclyavailable.The extent ofmostpeople’s –publicinname butrealm becameadistantmemory During the followingmonths oflockdown, the public would renderfurther interminglingimpossible. know then that justacoupleofweeks later, COVID-19 and Urbanist,Elizabeth dePortzamparc. We didn’t the participationofleadingFrench-Brazilian Architect UK Taipei Representative’s who jointlysupported Office Stride Treglown; andboththe InstitutFrancais andthe University ofBristol’s DigitalFutures Institute;Bristol’s and supportfrom: Copenhagen’s Gehl Architects; the sold outthe 200+tickets. Itattracted diverse input 6 We madeagoodstart.The architects andurbanists andcreativetechnologists. insights andopportunitiesforcollaboration between research approach withthe aimofcreatingnew spiritual home. Myplanwastofollowanaction ‘Designing DigitalCities”,held atArnolfini,Bristol(Feb, 2020), https://www.architecturecentre.org.uk/whats-on/designing-digital-cities/ event 6 held atArnolfiniinFebruary 2020, “Designing Digital what lessonswemight take withusintothe future. grown tospanmanydecades,andthink about journey,Digital City which through the research,has to setcurrentevents inthe context ofalongerterm came backintofocusforme.Itbecame anopportunity In July, fivemonths intothe pandemic,the Fellowship longer simplynicetohave, itwas core toourexistence. had beendreamingofformanyyears: Digitalwasno from itsslumberanditwastimetoreconsider what we my perspective, the joltalsoroused the DigitalCity appeared tobethreatening existence. itsvery From The pandemic kicked the worldfirmlyinitsribsand cities andplaceswhere everyone canthrive. broadly the same -creatingsmart,sustainable,resilient morphed overtime,butthe coreidearemained for20years.City The terminologyandtechnology as Ihad beenworking onBristolasaninclusiveDigital just hearing this phrase spoken again wasastounding Unless, ofcourse, youwere Teams/Skype enabledwindow. wireless networks and experienced through aZoom/ delivered toandfrom the home viacopper, fibreand politics, money and crime–allfacetsofhuman life leisure, shopping, culture,health, socialcare,love, everyday lifegravitated online.Work, school, family, transformation ofweeks inamatter asthrough necessity, “digitally excluded”“digitally –

6 ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP THE ABOUT REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY Internet”. the 7 one that Ifeltwarranted even moreurgent exploration. toprimarilysupportlocalvalueiscan bere-organised consequence ofthe lockdown, the ideathat the Internet As manypeople’s worldsbecame hyper localas a at the Designing Digital Citiesevent inFebruary7. in myFellowship, usingittoframe myopeningremarks I startedtodevelop the asa provocation latter earlier and finally, anexploration ofthe ideaof on Connecting Bristolin2004asareference point light ofthe COVID-19 pandemic,using myownwork theof BristolasaDigitalCity; VisionforDigitalCitiesin milestones or“breadcrumbs” marking the development The coveredthree interviews broad topics–significant I wouldhave iftimeallowed. lovedtointerview the community. There aremanymorepeoplethat well asperspectives from industry, academiaand represent amixofgender, ageandethnicity as recorded, andtranscribed. The interviewees The wereconductedoverZoom, interviews this termtodescribe themselves. with arange ofDigitalLeaders, although fewwoulduse undertakendepth interviews inJulyandAugust 2020 This researchisbasedoninsights gainedfrom 12 in- APPROACHTHE RESEARCH bristolfutures.global/blog/re-localising-the-smart-city-by-putting-place-back-into-digital A transcript ofmyopeningremarks atthe DesigningDigitalCitiesevent (Feb 2020) isavailable here, https://www.

“re-localising cities without taking these crisesintoaccount. impossible tothink aboutthe history orfutureof Whilst notthe focusof the primary research,itis recognition ofthe loomingclimateemergency. result ofthe andincreasing outcry Black LivesMatter pandemic; arenewedfocusonsocial justiceasa during aperiodofgrowing global crises,the COVID-19 It isimportanttonotethat the researchtookplace far longerthan Ihave beenitsobserver. that Ihave beenaparticipantinthe DigitalCity in preparingthis study, Irecognise butinreality I have triedtoremainobjectiveand impartial breaking DigitalinitiativesinBristolover20years. experience ofworking inandneartomanyground- Finally, Ihave unashamedly drawn onmyown one ofthe mostvaluablepartsofthe Fellowship. Working withthis brilliantanddiverse group has been University andBathSpaUniversities. Watershed, University ofthe West ofEngland,Bristol and the supportofthe widerprogramme teamat Fellows (my“Fellow Fellows” asIlike tocallthem) collaboration withthe cohort ofDigitalPlacemaking I have alsodrawn oninsights gainedfrom active 3.3 3.2 Dr Shawn Claire Mike Richard Dick Andrew Ben Carolyn Paul Roseanna Makala NAME FIRST Dr Shawn Grace Jim Tim Stephen Roseanna Paul NAME FIRST

LIST OF DIGITAL PLACEMAKING FELLOWS LIST OF INTERVIEWEES Sobers Reddington Rawlinson Potter Penny Kelly Heald Hassan Hassan Dias Cheung LAST NAME LAST Sobers Quantock Morrison Lo Hilton Dias Clarke LAST NAME LAST TITLE Associate Professor atUWE,Film andJournalismDepartment. CEO, Watershed. Founder, Pervasive MediaStudios. Design DirectorandFounding Director, ID. City Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft Consulting Services. Independent Consultant andFormer DirectorofWatershed. Director, BristolCultural Development Partnership. Founder, SIFT. Director, KnowleWest MediaCentre andBristolLivingLab. Development Manager, Locality. Creative Producer, IndependentandwithRisingArtsAgency Creative Director, Filwood Community Centre. TITLE Academic Fellow Inclusion Fellow FellowIndustry New Talent Fellow FellowIndustry Inclusion Fellow Academic Fellow

7 RESEARCH APPROACH RESEARCH REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY ignite, which isatthe heart ofDigital Placemaking. spark ofexcitement that andcreativity Digitalcan initiative ataparticularmomentin time.Itisthe it feelstohave beeninvolvedinaparticulardigital Some storiesarealsopersonal. They describehow can make surehistory isnotdeletedorover-written. the city’s Local andby History writingthem down,we formpartofupgrade. StoriesofBristol asaDigitalCity throughnot simplymoveforward the next software These areimportant markers butcitieslike Bristoldo measure progress postFacebook, the i-Phone orTwitter. through globaltechnological milestones.Itiseasyto development ofthe isnotsimplydefined Digital City The following accountsareareminderthat the to explore where things have comefrom. we considerthe Digitalfuture,it’s important why –butbefore itisuncommonforpeopletotry ofaplacebuttherestory isn’t, which isperhaps might bestraightforward tocapturethe Digital If there wasahomepage forthe DigitalCity 4.1 BRISTOL AS ADIGITAL CITY SECTION A: STORIES OF de Bruine A. (2000) Digital City Bristol:ACasede Bruine (2000) DigitalCity Study. A. In:Ishida T., Isbister K.(eds)DigitalCities. DigitalCities1999. Lecture NotesinComputer Science, vol1765. Springer, Berlin, inhabitants. The web siteisbasedaround agraphical interface ofpiers inaharbour, theme groups.” eachofwhich representsadifferent such asleisure,business,education orcommunity Ltd, the pilotsite waslaunched inMarch1997. According todeBruine A’s casestudy, “Users of DCB canaccesspublicinformationaboutthe ofBristol,itsorganisations andits city LOCAL STORIES 8 In the late1990s, Bristol’s HPLabs Bristol(DCB). Working initiatedDigitalCity inpartnership withthe University ofthe West ofEngland(UWE),BristolEvening Post NetGates andCity

CAPTURING THE 8 it it

& Digital PlacemakingFellow& Digital Roseanna Producer Dias,Creative ofpowerhold alot space.” inthat organisations who ledby the necessarily perspective andnot around digital from breadcrumbs acommunityare the inasking,whereI guessI’minterested milestones. than more tangible itfeels I think trail inHistory. style Gretel ThisHanselandbreadcrumbs. ideaof like“I really the Digital Breadcrumbs Roseanna Diason

were toconductmore I amcertainthat itwouldeasilydouble insize againifI theinterviews, numberhas grown tomorethan 50and I startedwithabouttenentriesbutthrough the of myownthat donotappear. projects,many brilliantandimpactful includingseveral project that has taken placeinBristol.Iamawareof The following isnotintendedtobealistofevery digital were “breadcrumbs” Digital City. Itsoonstruck methat what Iwaspicking up felt weresignificantinthe development ofBristolasa At first, Iasked forthree interviewees “milestones”they place issurprisingly, notsomething Ihad seenbefore. throughout the decades.Writing these downinone they weremorelike cluesthat had beenscattered markers Central, countingdowntoBristolDigitalCity did not seetheirInterviewees significantevents as way ofnavigating content,recognisingthat most browsing journeys don’t startatthe homepage. 4.2

OF DIGITAL BRISTOL 10 9 A live,updatable,interactive version ofthe timeline issomething that Iamkeen toexplore -butthat isfor the future! It wasonlylater that Iconsideredthe meaningofthe termbreadcrumbs inthe context ofwebdesign,which refers toa

AN EVOLVING LIST 10 9 . .

on the interconnectionsandcommonthreads. thestarts topreserve andallowsreflection story that has beengenerated. The act ofwritingdown theverify date.Iam,however, pleased withthe list online sourcesarescant.Itcaneven behard to particularly forprojects beforethe early2000s, Insomeinstances, It isalsosurprisinglydifficult.

8 STORIES OF A DIGITAL CITY DIGITAL A OF STORIES REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY BRISTOL TIMELINE AN EVOLING DIGITAL Bristol Medialaunched Connecting Bristol–DigitalChallenge bid CouncilBristol City becomesfirst to acceptonline ‘e-peitions’ We the Curious Streetnet, councillaches openwi-fimeshnetwork Mobile Bristol,HPLabs recreatesBristolriotsinQueenSquare coopgivesawaytheBristol Wireless community internetforfree I+ touchscreeninfopointsappearonBristol’s streets Bristol Interactive Cluster(BRIC) Underscore Bristol(HPLabs)Digital City Watershed Launches ElectricDecember Toshiba Research Labs openinQueenSquare Bristol CreativeTechnology (BCTN) Network Vibes Café Bar Spec (pirate) Radio Savage ButTender Radio HP Research Labs Open Immos Develops Transputer Watershed opens The BristolChannel cableTVpilotusingRediffusion network – community William Grey Walter Robotics inBristol started deliveringservices The Western Relay Company (laterbecameRediffusion) Europe’s Exchange openson first battery-powered Telephone Avenue MILESTONE 2005 2005 2004 2003 2002 2002 2002 2001 2000 2000 1999 1999 1998 1998 97 19 1989 1988 1986 1984 82 19 1973 1939 34 19 1900 YEAR Bristol Media Carolyn Hassantalks aboutConnecting Bristol EPetitions @Bristol StreetNet Mobile Bristol Bristol Wireless Mike Rawlinson talks aboutiPluspoints BRIC Disappeared without trace Digital Bristol Electric December Toshiba Research Labs Dick Penny talks aboutBCTN Dr Shawn Sobers onthe Early Internet SPEC Radio Savage butTender Radio HP Labs Inmos Watershed Andrew Kelly talks aboutThe BristolChannel William Grey Walter Robotics Rediffusion Telephone Avenue EXTERNAL LINK EXTERNAL Bristol ArtsChannel Bristol DigitalFutures Institutefocusesonsocio-tech 5G Layered Realities showcase –aUKfirst Whose Culture? Inaugural Oracle Cloudstart-upaccelerator Give MeBackmyBroken Night Venturer driverless carisbornatUWE First BristolFestival ofthe Future City Bristol isOpencreated Bristol European GreenCapital –GreenDigitalChallenge Bristol secures£11m SuperConnected Citiesfunding Engine Shed opens React launchesPlayable City Know Your Place Creative Citizens Project Hills areEvil!, MediaSandboxopendataprototype Bristol 24/7 launched Centre forQuantumopensatUoB Digital Environment HomesEnergy MonitoringSystem Ujima Radio launches Pervasive MediaStudioopens South West CreativeTechnology (SWCTN) Network The (new)KnowleWest MediaCentre Opens MILESTONE 2008 2020 019 2 018 2 017 2 017 2 016 2 015 2 015 2 015 2 015 2 014 2 013 2 012 2 012 2 011 2 011 2 010 2 2009 2009 2008 2008 2008 018 2 2008 YEAR the BristolArtsChannel Clare Reddington talks about BDFI SWCTN 5G Layered Realities Whose Culture Oracle CloudAccelerator me backmyBroken Night Roseanna Diastalks aboutGive Venturer Driverless Car Festival ofthe Future City Paul Wilson talks aboutBristolisOpen The GreenDigitalChallenge Super Connected Cities Engine Shed REACT Playable City Know Your Place Creative Citizens Hills areEvil! Bristol 24/7 Centre forQuantumComputing Caroline Hassantalks aboutDEHEMS Paul Hassantalks aboutUjimaRadio Pervasive MediaStudio her workatKWMC Makala Cheung talks about EXTERNAL LINK EXTERNAL

9 STORIES OF A DIGITAL CITY DIGITAL A OF STORIES 2015 2020 2018 First Bristol Festival of the Bristol Arts Channel 5G Layered Future City Reality showcase

BRISTOL D IGITAL AN EVOLING DIGITAL FUTURES INSTITUTE

F E E S T I V A L O F T H F E BRISTOL TIMELINE E S T I O F T H V A L F U T U R E C I T Y F U T U R E C I T Y 2016 Give Me Back My Broken Night 2019 Bristol Digital Futures Institue 2012 2015 Playable Venturer Driverless Cities Car 2015 2002 Bristol Is Open Bristol Wireless 2008 DEHEMS 2010 2003 vHills are Evil! 2008 We the Curious 2015 Pervasive Media European Green Capital Studio opens 2008 2011 Ujima Radio Know Your Place launches

2002 T O S H I B A R Street-Net E S E B S 2004 A R C H L A

REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY THE DIGITAL REBOOTING Bristol allows E-petitions 2002 O ! KNOWLE WES T MEDIA CENTRE P E N O P E N ! O P E N ! Mobile Bristol 2014 Super Connected Cities 2001 2008 2005 i-Plus Points The new Knowle West 05 1900 2013 Connecting Media Studio opens 21 Telephone Avenue Engine Shed Opens Bristol 1973 1999 The Bristol Electric December Channel

REDIFFUSION risto 1997 b l ! O P E N Vibes Cafe c l 1998 h e a n n Bar Opens Toshiba in Queen Square 1982 1939 1934 - 1947 HP Labs Open 10 William Grey 1982 Western Relay Co - Rediffusion Walter Robotics The Watershed Opens REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY > 5G Layered Realities > Smart Tourism… Smart > Realities Layered 5G > Connected Cities > Engine Shed > Bristol is Open Open is Bristol > Shed Engine > Cities Connected > StreetNet > Connecting Bristol > Super Super > Bristol Connecting > StreetNet > Radio > iPlus Points > Mobile Bristol > B-Net B-Net > Bristol Mobile > Points iPlus > Radio ‘Corporation’ first paidavisit in 1901 officials city’s civiclandscape,ever sincethe Mayorand has continuedtoplayaprominent role inthe broadband (probably quitealot)butthe location tosupporttoday’shas beenre-purposed ultrafast yearoldundergroundhundred network andtwenty We don’t know how muchofthe original one and cables.BT is stilllocatednext door. a newlybuiltunderground of14 network milesofducts turn ofthe innovationhub century lyingatthe centreof first poweredtelephone battery exchange inEurope: a it! When itopenedin1900, itwascelebrated asthe soimportantthatAn entity they namedthe streetafter was originallyhome tothe NationalTelephone Co. Armada HouseonTelephone Avenue incentral Bristol do the ways ofworking andthe ideasthat itinspires. infrastructure. Digitalinfrastructure has longevity butso withabroaderBristol isentwined narrative about The Timeline hints atthe wayDigitalPlacemaking in Ujima > Channel Bristol the > Rediffusion 4.3 FOR EXPERIMENTATION FEET; REPURPOSING INFRASTRUCTURE 11 From the of the “History Telephone inBristol”,BT Service Archives, (accessedAug, 2020), https://strowger-net.telefoniemuseum.nl/tel_hist_bristol.html

THE DIGITAL BENEATH CITY OUR

11 . Rediffusion > The Bristol Channel Bristol The > Rediffusion The Western Relay Company > > Company Relay Western The years later, the project’s impactisstilltangible, local placename– older physical infrastructure andborrowed a It wasfrom the 1970s. The project reusedan laterthanidentified, wasalittle Telephone Avenue. The earliestbreadcrumb, which several interviewees & Digital Placemaking Fellow& Digital WestUniversity ofEngland ofthe Professor, Sobers, Associate Dr Shawn onyour seeitthere timeline” goodto really it’s involvedheavily communitymedia scene… inthe well himwhenIwas we with didsomeresearch know to Igot Peter researcher reallyprofessional Lewis… before So myeven time as that’s athough PeterCentre] andI’mnow with goodfriends KWMC [Knowleso I linked West itupwith Media did awholepiece a work around Knowle West and they ChannelPilot Bristol was leadingthat Peter Lewis andconnection with whofounded timeIwas doingmy the At PhdImadea Iwas born. year was after the that “1973 Channel Bristol the with the BristolChannel Dr Shawn Sobers on “the Bristol Channel” Bristol “the . 50 impact beyondimpact city actually... the Channelhadan Bristol “The emotionally grounded inthe localcommunity, still exists, although itappears lessphysically or topography. Amore recentlocalBristolTVChannel of poorreceptioncausedby the city’s hilly Reputedly, the needwastoovercomethe problem pipe radio intoBristol homes. asearlytheto build-outthis cablenetwork 1930s to Relay Company, latercalledRediffusion, had started anexisting The cableTVnetwork. re-purpose Western cableTVlicense,allowing thecommunity operator to The BristolChannel operated underanexperimental could betransferred tovideoforbroadcast. early portableTVunitthat recordedfootage,which were recruited andtrained touseaportapack-an 12 communitytelevision, ‘90ssurrounding early inthe talk was I meanremember there much Knowle West TV 1973between and1975. The channel included which reached 23,000 homes across the city The BristolChannel wasalocalTVbroadcaster, Peter Lewis, KWTV stationmanager, donatedrecordstothe BristolRecords archives, http://archives.bristol.gov.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=44659 Office 12 andteamsoflocalvolunteers

REDIFFUSION scene in the late 80s… late scene inthe unlicensedpirate be the pointwould “My starting Bristol DigitalBreadcrumb radio. –community impact ofbroadcasting licensesonanother important Development ManageratLocality, describesthe Hassan, formerDirectorofUjimaRadio andnow in relationtofurther breadcrumbs. For example, Paul experimental broadcasting licensescrop upregularly The formsof alongwithdifferent Rediffusion network Radio Ujima DevelopmentCultural Partnership Andrew Kelly, ofBristol Director behonest.” onitto aboutBristol see things rarely I very like that. Judge Judyandthings orrepeats of orCardiff from Birmingham show seemsto programmes[now] mostly which isonmy Sky Box Channel that Bristol at the incredulity Ilookwith extent, although certain a hashappenedto studio.Andthat own cityTV being liberalised; andhow you upyour could set community radio, licenseswere and how the

11 STORIES OF A DIGITAL CITY DIGITAL A OF STORIES REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY The initial businesscasewaspredicated onloweringrevenue costsby directlyconnectingCouncil HQbuildings. 14 13 12 wall… went the to London ones,simply big from the apart somanystations, ofthem, communityjust weren’t orscaleablefor right were they offering… licensesthat incremental the recognise that to was starting The radio authority 24hrs/day…debates indiscussionsandmusic aswell part andtaking coming inandmakingprogrammes… andmaking hundreds ofyoung andall night, peopleallday We rules. andsafety hadliterally health all the Pauls, middleofSt broke probably inthe days We station. ayouth 28It was itfor primarily run aboutcollective Swahili responsibility. thing the licensein1995service was calledUjima, which we ran arestricted ofstuff… alot criminalising 1990sby the broadcasting act becauseofthe down So radio by investigation the service… closed ourselves stop getting to a way oftrying microwave prototype first the links…basically, as We would share using transmitters… unilaterally operators. radio pirate other know to and Igot allofthe JohnPeel from onthe show…being played apart musicjust wasn’t becauseBlack space primarily There was awholerange ofusworking inthat Peter Lewis, KWTV stationmanager, donatedrecordstothe BristolRecords archives, http://archives.bristol.gov.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=44659 Office The Council’s cabinetagreed the purchase ofthe from ductnetwork Rediffusion, forafairlymodestcapitaloutlay, inthe mid1990s. “Mail mefrom the Mall”, Jonathan Wright, The Guardian,August, 2000https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2001/aug/23/internetnews.onlinesupplement1

with the roll outofthe iPlusPoints. Mike recalls, programmeCity atthe timeandwas closelyinvolved IDwasdevelopingCity Bristol’s acclaimedLegible Mike Rawlinson, DesignDirectorandFounder of which first appearedinBristolaround 2001. iPlus Points; on-streetdigitalinformationkiosks, the ofconnected deploymentofanetwork onwork withacompanycalledCitySpace “B-Net”. This Council enabledBristolCity to > iPlus Points > StreetNet > Points iPlus > i-Plus points into cities. i-Plus points into ideaof the bring to really “We were firstpeople the Bristol Mobile > B-Net > Rediffusion > Rediffusion UjimaRadio formerly Paul Hassan,Locality& genuinecommunityreleasing licensesfor finally radio authority the ledto radio andthat We community for fire were the stillburning ownership inthe mid1990’s The cameintothe Rediffusion network Council’s 13 andwasrechristened suggests, time withthe headline, Mailmefrom the Mall.It reinforced by aGuardianTechnology featureatthe mesh network. Philmesh network. Stenton,then of HPLabs cables) tocreateStreetNet (using the sameRediffusion or“B-Net” ductsand builtupontheinitiative, andCitySpace iPlusPoints since 1986 andwereworking onthe MobileBristol The Council, HPLabs, who had beenbasedin Bristol develop.”models may business howclues asto computing pervasive provide email-may andsend-only information localtravelaccess to news, councilwebsites, job andprovide sitinstreets which terminals internet introduction asi-pluspoints- ofdevices“The such of connectivity that were follow.”of connectivity that to levels better andthe things better precursors for many products were they digital prototypes, were“they product… aswith never aperfect initspublicrealm.” Miketechnology notes, have UKto touchscreen inthe first was the Bristol for locational products in the city. locationalproducts inthe for For Mike, their realimpactwasas disappeared from Bristol’s streetsby the mid2000s. The iPlusPoints had arelativelyshort life,most 17 16 15 Pervasive MediaStudio,MD ofCalvium andlater, Research ScientistatBBC R&D StreetNet waslaterrechristened B-Open,which becamethe Wi-Fi network’s SSID “Wi-Fi West”, JackSchofield, The Guardian,August, 2004,https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2004/aug/12/onlinesupplement1 Phil Stentonplayed avariedrole inthe development ofBristolasa DigitalCity, at HPLabs, asco-founder ofthe

14

15 , the UK’s largest wireless “very early drivers early “very ” This ideais

16 noted,

The Guardian, 2004 The Guardian, free… Anyone canuse it, and it’s StreetNet. called asinglesystem into knitted hotspots, Fi isbeingassembledfrom a numberofWi- which UK’slargest publicwireless network, of the development inthe stage first just openedthe reality. itinto isturning hascity ofBristol Bristol The advertising. being soldby Centrino Intel’s ofdream sort orhandheld?Itisthe computer wireless broadband available your to notebook youany andknow cafe would that always have orpopinto bench, sitonapark highstreet, the “Wouldn’t itbeniceifyou could wander down Bristol’s leadership visionary increating“Wi-FiWest”, newspaper who, inthe samepieceasabove,extolled StreetNet alsocaught the interestofthe Guardian Bristol. And the Council has gone for it.” Councilhasgonefor Andthe Bristol. centre of inthe onebighotspot create to Fi], using802.11proposed run kiosksto [Wi- halftheir turning scheme funded apilot Cityspace -andco- -with them halves with So, weway ofextending went ournetwork. itwouldabout it,andwe beagood thought Councilwas thinking andthe StreetNet, proposal do to the “Cityspace putforward 17 17

12 STORIES OF A DIGITAL CITY DIGITAL A OF STORIES REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY Tourism > The Bristol Digital Futures Institute Futures Digital Bristol The > Tourism is Open > 5G Layered Realities > 5G Smart Smart 5G > Realities Layered 5G > Open is 19 18 Cities have been revealed… UK’sfirstSuper-Connected“The funding Bristol > again repurposed.This timeusingmajorgrant Shed In 2012,Engine the wasyet Rediffusion network > Cities Connected Super Super Connected Citiesprogramme. “Ten SuperConnected Cities Announced”,GOV.UK, March2012, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ten-super-connected-cities-announced Bristol City Council £4-12millionBristol City wasawarded fundingofbetween and endeddrawing downc.£9million 18 securedfrom the Government’s Gov.UK 2012 mediarelease, are provided andaccessed.”services way the new businessesandtransform drive growth, to attract status connected helpdeliverto usesuper- ambitious plans to 80Mbps. The10 cities willshare £100 million a minimumdownload speedofatleast We broadband ultrafast ashaving define connectivity. access, andlargeareas ofpublicwireless broadband fixed ultrafast Citieswith Connected become Super bidto cities have allsuccessfully UKcapital four the alongwith and Manchester Leeds&Bradford, Newcastle Bristol, Birmingham, of EnglandLocal EnterprisePartnership (the LEP)to this he wentfrom beingthe Chief Executiveofthe West Paul Wilson isnowanindependentconsultant,priorto initiatives, BristolisOpen(BiO). one ofthe city’s mostinternationally high-profile Quarter EnterpriseZone. The grant alsopump-primed was beingdeveloped inBristol’s Temple embryonic for EngineShed, the high-tech businessincubatorthat ofnewprojects,variety includingDigitalinfrastructure In Bristol,the SuperConnected Citiesgrant fundeda

19 In termsofBiOitself,Paul describeshow, everyone got excited.” that inBristol digital creativity and dowith 70sto happened inthe city. hadgonearound the that So,something Knowle West usingcable off television kicked sametime anditwas arrived atthe when Morph creativeit was programme avery and… that’s BBCprogramming, child’s and went every into They was were madeinBristol On,which Vision sametime. happened at aboutthe things “three For Paul, the alsogoesbacktothe story 1970s, when bemyprobably numberthree.” breadcrumbs, Paul suggests, being the first MDofBiO. However, when defininghis He goesontosay, also said that cities are the future… we citiesare the marketedalso saidthat peoplebutwe tech the talked to city andthat we called itanopenprogrammableindustry… waswe recognisablethat usedlanguagethat to and was industry exciting that atech to story tech quite aswell aswequite could have.” everyone got working together we necessarily brought ofpassiontowards alot sure it…I’mnot and almost everybody challenges fraught with “the secret sauce was secret a having “the “Bristol is Openwould“Bristol

“It was Clare Reddington, CEO,WatershedClare peoplehave done.” what other to different really It’s Bristol. characterise really ways we’ve other talked about itdoesthe over carpet of adigital acity’orany of ‘rolling physical ‘digital orthe mesh’ “that Bristol story. As ClareReddington, Watershed, putsit, important andperhaps, uniquepartofthe Digital connection withthe city’s Digitallayerhas beenan It isclearthat this long-terminvestmentinand Digital Futures Institute. Testbed (2019) andthe recentlaunchofthe Bristol (2018) andthe BristolandBath5GSmartTourism Smart InternetLab’s Layered Realities 5Gshowcase Simeonidou’s development ofthe University ofBristol continues beyond BristolisOpenwithProfessor Dimitra Although notavailableforinterview, the story couldbeusedallover planet.”which the look like were we working inBristol onsomething we madeit Bristol, for thing sound like aBristol city. inaspecific located We make didn’t itjust soundlike world problemsit to but asolutionfor Physical Mesh on Bristol’s Digital Clare Reddington

13 STORIES OF A DIGITAL CITY DIGITAL A OF STORIES REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY Cities > Give me back my Broken Night… Broken my back me Give > Cities Electric December > Connecting Bristol > Playable Playable > Bristol Connecting > December Electric Bristol Creative Technologies Network Technologies Creative Bristol Café Bar > BRIC > Knowle West Media Centre > > Centre Media West Knowle > BRIC > Bar Café later, that Dickand Watershed dived-indeeply, Creative Technologies (BCTN), Network seven years electricity rather than the copper wire’. the than rather electricity isthe for ‘what we shouldbesearching CouncilCity onitsLocal eDemocracy programme, technology, andearlycollaborator withBristol leading thinker onpoliticalcommunicationand Paraphrasing Professor Stephen Coleman, a creative sparkitcanignite. Cities andDigitalPlacemaking tolife,which isthe shouldn’t detract from the thing that reallybringsDigital Vibes > The focusoninfrastructure inthe previous section Network Technology Creative Bristol 4.4 print them outdigitally” them print whatever, tintthem, editthem, them, andchange and usephotoshop in to chemically, scanthem to whomadeimages photographers, screens for bigAppleIt was some very alightroom with darkroom, involved inDigitalsince1992 when itinstalledaDigital of Watershed, describedhow Watershed had been Dick Penny, IndependentConsultant andformerMD FOUND THE ELECTRICITY COPPER WIRE BUT THEN WE

WE STARTED WITH THE “which ofcourse wasn’t adarkroom.“which . Itwasn’t untilthe Bristol

SIFT Virtual Communities > CompuServe CompuServe > Communities Virtual SIFT for professional communities–SIFT Ben Heald,Founder ofthe pioneeringonlineplatform CompuServe, they had the top two of top floors hadthe they CompuServe, organisationslike was supporting Bristol AOLthrough orCompuServe… online as a consumer was way get to only the much 90’s, pretty inthe “if you remember back MDofWatershedand former Penny,Dick independentConsultant meand whatgot Butthat’s ofpitfalls. sorts alongsideall andpotentials, affordances ofnew allsorts whole new mediumwith as a seethis to gave mean opportunity mightmean.Andcertainly,what Digital my senseof transformed But itcompletely what you do. wanted to allowed that you background do to in the systems wereso they justlooking at how you builtthe connectivity,people would use highbandwidth The university were inhow interested really mightbe. Internet the my first introductionto what “BCTN was seminal.Itwas

20 describeshow, Vibes Café Bar Café Vibes He soonalsofoundhimself actingasamentor, pretty much explaining the internet to him!” to internet explaining the much pretty andIwas internet baronthe Café Vibes the ofand Iwas concept explaining himthis to computer?’ on the that and said‘Ooh what’s atHTV departments other in from oneofthe remember onceoneofmy colleagues came space called, “Vibes Café Bar”.Hesays, space called,“Vibes Shawn describedhow he wentontocreateaweb with mydial-up.” Internet andfigureitout,morethan Icoulddoathome paying for… inmydowntime,Ijuststartedtosurfthe for the first timewith“access tothe Internetthat Iwasn’t was working atBristol’s HTVStudio,he foundhimself Placemaking Fellow, describeshow in1997, when he at University ofthe West ofEnglandandDigital Similarly, DrShawn Sobers, Associate Professor againrecently. hascomeback which term isalsoa communities,which asvirtual days inthoseconnecting peopleinwhatwe termed wenow onfor were in.Sothen, early pretty TLT buildingthat the is Street, One Redcliffe with it.Iwas just experimenting really” with know really Ididn’t days. what Iwas doingearly music. Itwas to would listen very it,to cometo bit like ofvibe,andpeople aReggae, Rasta sort the Early Internet Dr Shawn Sobers on “It was a .

“I “I BRIC – Bristol Interactive Cluster Cluster Interactive Bristol – BRIC Paul Hassan,Localityand formerly, BRIC. recalls, the transition was,attimes,confusing, provided by new, fastbroadband. As Paul to make useofthe headroom forexperimentation Their aimwasforbusinessesandmediacompanies the charge, viaBRICandtheir Broadband Show. Paul andhis colleague,AnneScorer, wereleading now Development ManagerforLocality. At the time, the level citywide inthe early2000’s. Paul Hassanis Bristol Interactive Cluster, waschampioning butat “old” to“new”mediawassomething that BRIC–the Echoing Shawn’s experience atHTV, the from shift DVD we puttogether. that copy interactive cluster ofthe as itwas called. Ihave a Interactive Cluster“Bristol things andwe offuntranslating.” hadalot things whole listof acronyms meantdifferent that media itmeantinteractive TV. We hada it meanttelevision ifyou were new from the on where you were oldmedia from, inthe were acronym jokes aboutthe ITV, depending AndIremember thereAardman andothers… space werepeople inthat doingincluding work that ofthe ofmontage asort together an event atWatershed we pulled andthen year 2000.We the That was justafter did

14 STORIES OF A DIGITAL CITY DIGITAL A OF STORIES REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY Knowle West Media Centre > DEHEMS > Centre Media West Knowle Home Energy Management System] … Home EnergyManagement System] “DHEMS [DomesticEnvironment becoming involvedinother newagendas, Media Centre recallshow they werealso Carolyn Hassan,Director ofKnowleWest were asking me,whatisit?itfor?” time.PeopleFacebook new was atthe quite that. itafter with confident very Ifelt and then I spentaweek delve onFacebook it to into Facebook butIwas never usingit.So, actually teach beingessential…Ihadto recognised for itgot orshouldIsay important, became really inclusion momentwhere was Digital “there this people how touseFacebook, how she accidentallybecameaDigitalmentor, teaching older disadvantaged communities.Like Shawn, Makala described West isanareaknown forbeingoneofBristol’s most housed inapurposebuiltecobuildingsince 2008.Knowle Centre, DigitalMediaandArts centre, auniquecommunity whenscattered she wasworking forKnowleWest Media In KnowleWest, Makala Cheung’s first breadcrumb was

Electric December Electric in people’s livesin people’s andisit,shoulditbe?” you and relevant make understandable data wasproject aboutwhosedata it andhow do we didabig important, was very me,that for literacy. everyone data online,to getting So, We moved and aboutdigital, from talking it raised for usin communities.it raised for andquestions isaboutdata, there misinformation value andthe of data, and the about data, me,oraneyewas driver for amajor opener that butIthink involved dry, Itsoundsquite with. even ifwe were technology, get to dealingwith centre, arts would imagine acommunity-based usualproject wasn’t you the methat ...for first Digital thing that they did.”that thing first Digital Aardman it wasfor kind ofthe know that know about.Icertainly what we journeys than Digital somanythrough more people’s December resonatesElectric whether “I wouldn’t besurprised

new medium.” anda we’re anew that century say entering by andwrapper to usingaphysical world form abitmillennium, sowe ofcheating were sort ofthe dawn window openedonthe actually final endof2009.Andthe way the to all the went andused an advent calendarthat cheated masses of skills and confidence development.”masses ofskillsandconfidence ofcrazy ideasand innovationsall sorts and was andledto fascinating own andthat rules open spacewherewas you this madeupyour allofthis... dowith to And, whatwe were trying community groups justmixit up. to independentgamesmakersgot working with we schools, we Aardman’s got working with play,was peopleto get justanengineto so Penny, formerWatershed MDrecalls, Electric Decemberran throughout the 1990s. As Dick Digital present. the countdowntoChristmas toreveal acreative, advent calendartoopenawindoweveryday during programme that borrowed the formofaDigital Electric DecemberwasatenaciousWatershed but asDicksays, that wasthe intention, creatives, technologists, businessesandthe community The programme attracted diverse participation,from

“we actually “really it“really

was that Digital connectivityisbetter…” Digital was that timewhatwas great andthis same thing, mehow we werestruck doingthe essentially audience. Itjustreallymake the apresent for new skillstoaround Digital engagingwith organisations, andcultural programmes communityit was companies, allaboutpairing and called TheInternet new was thing there this December was becauseBut Electric created like Decemberinmany felt Electric ways…really How dowe programme city? Andit across the out, how are we about it. abitmore thoughtful cultural organisationsare throwingIf allthe stuff cultural programme acity online.facing for was aboutaskinghow dowe anaudience- create project Channel… that Arts ofBristol iteration December. first the But… Ihave justfinished Watershed Iwas ofElectric apunter although Clare Reddington, CEO,WatershedClare initiatives, city of ElectricDecemberanditsrelevance current tovery 2019 asWatershed CEO, alsocitesthe importance Clare Reddington, who tookoverfrom DickPenny in “if I go back to 1999… to “if Igoback Iwasn’t at

15 STORIES OF A DIGITAL CITY DIGITAL A OF STORIES REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY of saying weof saying are now and how post-Digital do And whatPlayable Citywas about was away physical andhow combine. they was and okay.space, which aboutvirtual Butit’s virtual languageofthe the understand begin to spaceand virtual inthe play peopleto get to we’dit was that a decade of trying gonethrough me.Ithink aseminalmomentfor was quite that physical space, on the canhave animpact stuff more December, onfrom Electric this asensethat “Playable citieswas, Watershed, for adecade or Digital morephysically presentinthe city’s publicrealm, built onthe energy ofElectricDecemberby making environment. DickPenny describeshow PlayableCities experiences that wereembeddedwithin the built Playable Citiessought todevelop creativeDigital narrativesIndustry aboutSmartCitiesandefficiency. range ofcollaborators in2012 asacounterpointto Playable Citieswasdeveloped by Watershed anda Cities Playable

Give me back my Broken Night Broken my back me Give time. jobsatthat different had aboutfive Iwas moonlighting,I box inthe office; originally usheratWatershed, actually I usedto Iwas and creativity…. exploring Digital for a spot asamediastudioandbeing quickly, about quite WatershedCertainly, out Ifound was aplace that them. understand to and tried creative whenIsoughtoutthe industries that after university 2012. in2008andgraduated It was far, that Imoved goback doesn’t here for city as a Digital Bristol “My engagementwith with the ismorerecent, DigitalCity Placemaking Fellow describeshow her involvement Roseanna Dias,CreativeProducer &Digital in your toolbox.” Digital knowledge ofwhat’s that physical world with the into back shift that enjoyment, the whatever,for of citizens.Soit was benefit, the inacityspacefor usethis actually onewe occupyand the isacity, sohow do we ourphysicalwe outinto environment roll this

and connectionsbuildthe overall strength. like awebandthe haphazardness ofthe journeys Whilst Ihave presenteditasa timeline,itismore entirely bespoke routes. placesandfollowed started inamultitudeofdifferent strategy oroverarching engagement plan.Interviews’ as muchapersonal creationasitis the product ofa These accounts reminderusthat the is DigitalCity powerful.” really It felt it could looklike. imaginewhatitcouldbeand to technology conversations aboutplaceandusingthat overlay Digital andunlocking for potential the Templeactual places around the Meads area and bemappedonto wouldillustration then that like projection mappingandlivetechnology my whatwas mindasto possibleusingdigital blew scenes.Butitreally so, seeingbehindthe MyBroken Night…IwasMe Back ushering Iushered was things calledGiveOne ofthe

16 STORIES OF A DIGITAL CITY DIGITAL A OF STORIES REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY Government would belaunching The Digital Challenge, source technologies andthe Web. We’d heard that arts, politics,democracy, the environment, open Watershed. We wereinterestedinculture, the of peoplegathered inthe cafébarofBristol’s One drizzly evening in2004aneclecticgroup 22 21 5.1 Hassan,KnowleCarolyn West Media Centre city.” rest ofthe included inthe first time felt we we’d been was the which around that, I to firstmeeting went the and I stillremember important was very “Connecting Bristol Bristol Connecting BRISTOLCONNECTING SECTION B: BREADCRUMBS Government waseventually persuaded of the benefitsofproviding fundingtothe 10 regionalDigitalChallenge finalists, who wentontocollaborate viathe DigitalChallenge “DC10” network The Connecting Bristolbidonlyexists asabeautifully designedandboxed hard copy, so nourlisprovided

SCATTERING MY OWN

We where imagined amodelofconnectivity ‘attainment levels willbesoaringasaresult.’ connected athome aswellatschool’ and Digital literacy –‘all schoolchildren willbeDigitally an escalatingfocusonDigitalskills, inclusionand more timeintheir localareas.We alsoenvisaged had taken place’becausepeoplewillbespending amongst the first tonoticethat aDigitaltransformation The bidsuggested ‘the cornershop keepers willbe congestion. sustainable transport traffic andcutting high sheets andthe environment by promoting or closertohome, benefitingthe city’s neighbourhood wouldenableeveryone toworkfromDigital City home, to2010, shift envisaged arapid 5-year which the after links the between city’s diverse communities.We ubiquitous Digitalinfrastructure andtouseitbuild Bristol” –anodtoboththe ambitiontoroll-out The bidwewent ontomake wascalled“Connecting leader then itshould, ofcourse, beBristol. was overlysimplisticbutifthere wastobeaDigital Digital City. Allagreedthat suchacompetition thea competitiontoidentify country’s leading than ifthey had wononsomeoneelse’s terms. bolstered moreby the experience oflosingtogether programmesSmart City –the ecosystem ofpartners ploughed ahead anyway, creatingitsownDigitalthen come tobelieve that Bristolbothlostandwon.The city Sunderland asitsDigitalChampion. Manywould underpinning new globalconnections.’ localto underpinning outwards – also understood the importance ofreaching for experimentation andinnovation’. Finally, we knew what todowith.This wouldbea‘catalyst bandwidth foruploadanddownloadthan they –providing“symmetrical” connectivity ‘more highbusinesses couldeasilyaccessvery speed, funding prize bid wasultimatellyunsuccessfulinsecuringthe big Connecting Bristolattracted widesupportbutthe 5.2 VISION (2004) VISION CONNECTING BRISTOL

EXTRACT OF OUR ‘Bristol’s creativity will drive success,‘Bristol’s 21 , Governmentinsteadoptedtocrown 22 • • • • • • • • • decade agoeveryone discountedasdeprived” kept comingfrom people andplacesthat onlya where the real innovationcamefrom andthe ideas generated -wecreatedthe spacebutthat’s “Then there arethe solutionsthat the community Digital technology is making carbonusevisible Environment isbenefitingandlocalshops arethriving. peak-timecongestion work, flattening hubs,local community avoidingcommutingto People regularlyworking from home, orin driving innovationacross the region city Digital businessisflourishing withsmallbusinesses homes who needextra supporttogetonline Mentors tohelp peopleinthe andintheir community feeling competentandsafeonline High levels ofdigitalliteracy withfamilies devices isimproving andattainment across the board All school studentsprovided withportablehandheld widely availableandwellused Fast, is wirelessconnectivity affordable recognisedastheA city UKexemplar Digitalcommunity

17

CONNECTING BRISTOL BRISTOL CONNECTING CONNECTING REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY 25 24 23 £3.7 Trillion inJuly2020 Apple, GoogleandAmazon, collectivelyvaluedat the phenomenal riseofthe Tech Giants,Facebook, The Connecting BristolVisionwasdeveloped before the financialsavings,big languageofefficiency, Connected becamethe City SmartCity, adopting thatausterity followedareequally significant. The late 2000sandthe longperiodofpublicsector than rural, the butinreality financialcrash inthe point –the yearthe worldbecamemoreurban cite2014 narratives often Smart City asatipping slipped awayfrom the local towardsthe global. During the decades,the intervening agenda and should beusedforthe benefitoflocalpeople. that the Internetwas ours, itwasalocalresource When writingConnecting Bristol,wenaivelybelieved accessible toeveryone and usedforthe civicgood. moral responsibility, toshape technologies sothey were felt ithad apowerfulleadership role, perhaps even a pioneers Council andBristolCity (where Iworked) moment intimewhen Councils couldbetechnology 5.3 THE GLOBAL Markets Insider, (accessedAug 2020), https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/facebook-apple-amazon-alphabet-stock-price-add-market-value-earnings-2020-7-1029455838# Toyota Woven City, (accessed Aug 2020), https://www.woven-city.global Sidewalk Labs Toronto, (accessedAug 2020), https://www.sidewalktoronto.ca

FROM THE LOCAL TO 23 . Itwasthe product ofa

became augmentedwithanautonomoussystem. and the referee,alongwiththe restofthe world andcontrol.surveillance The goalpostshad moved andmanywouldsay,data, predictiveanalytics, of the West ofEngland of the Sobers, UniversityDr Shawn entities.” different bypopulated these commercial, more and becoming professionalised becoming more Internet inthe like ashift Yes, openedmy eyes itdefinitely –itfelt was aroundthat 1997. it. Ithink onto cottoned they when happened quickly that takeoverstamp kindathing footprint, Corporate be this seem to there rapidly “Quite in Japan 26 Roseanna Dias,CreativeProducer and DigitalPlacemaking Fellow notes, has becomeaplaceofglobalconsumption, asmuchaplaceofproduction. As weaponised inthe context ofgeo-politics.However, itiscertainlytrue that the Internet assetsandideasare asSmartCity are regularlyandpossiblydeliberately entwined just onesideofthe argument. The debateiscomplex andfactmisinformation capitalismandzeromodel basedonsurveillance hours contracts. This is,ofcourse, a threat topublichealth andithas nurtured anunbalancedandexploitative economic the climateemergency; through its5Gmastsandmillimetrewavelengths, itrepresents worst, andresources,which makes itisacolossaluserofelectricity it an accelerator for The has SmartCity alsobecometobeseenby manyasawiderexistential threat. At such asSidewalkLabs inToronto Now, aswelookaround the world,globalcompanies doubts If these areever built, andthere arecurrently waterfronts, cities. districtsandeven new-build design -creatingnewSmartanddigitallyenabled edgetechnologiescutting edgeurban withcutting governments, investingbillionsinbringingtogether onezero.medium.com/how-a-band-of-activists-and-one-tech-billionaire-beat-alphabets-smart-city-de19afb5d69e accountability willfitinorifitfitsat all. accountability interact withcities. Itishard toseewhere local In “Death of a Smart City”, BrianJBath,(Aug 20)itisreported thatIn “DeathofaSmartCity”, SidewalkLabs have withdrawn from the Toronto project, https:// 26 25 itwillfundamentallychange how citizens arepartneringwithnationalandlocal 24 andToyota

damage ourplanet... morewe we consume the “We more the know that & Digital Placemaking Fellow& Digital Roseanna Producer Dias,Creative there.” oftensions alot So,there’s to. we are even apparently more connected globalcommunity which the negatively impact local communityandactually the benefit don’t often up,they are set things these currently how also about understanding it’s So, Ithink… global community. asa other more we the damageeach

18 CONNECTING BRISTOL CONNECTING REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY 27 wereif allofthem achieved. value imagine the Vision] Bristol Connecting [inthe there are listed that things “If you lookatallthose the datesandresubmit the bidtoGovernment. Future even City joked that weshould justchange Partnership andFounder ofthe BristolFestival ofthe Andrew Kelly, DirectorofBristolCultural Development entertained andsane.Inthe forthis interviews study, them forthe assetthey are.AndDigitalculture kept us thanbetter ever beforeandwestartedtoappreciate the norm.Local shopkeepers gottoknow residents Working andstudyingfrom home, formany, became skills tomake useofit? withoutor thewe survive ubiquitousdigitalconnectivity for livingwiththe impactsofthe pandemic. Howcould seemed asifitcouldhave beenintendedasamanual morethanBristol Vision,drafted 15 years before, the oflivinginthe reality DigitalCity. The Connecting Then in2020 the pandemichit usandwewoke upto “Pay the Wi-Fi orFeed the Children”, Hannah Holmes&GemmaBurgess, University ofCambridge (accessedAug 2020), https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/digitaldivide

new light onthe terribledisadvantage itcreates. not createdthe Digital Dividebutithas thrown has massiverelevance today. The pandemic has clear that itscoreagendaofDigitalInclusionstill Reflecting onthe Connecting BristolVision,itis can welearntohelp visions? frame futureDigitalCity might have beendeliveredover15 years andwhat global pandemictodeliverin15 orsoweeks what The questions itraised formeare,why didittake a 5.4 Development Partnership Andrew Kelly, Cultural Bristol 2020-2030” to ofthat dates the just change So,ifI were Iwouldimplemented. you Stephen, be things would almosthave seethose to of whatGovernment about,you isthinking heart atthe Iguessmustbereally which If you’re planningnow afuture pandemic, for DIGITAL CITY

VISIONS OF THE was once a big thing and maybe libraries and libraries and maybe was onceabigthing café internet the ideathat andthat affordability aboutaccessandwho and about think to start Idid High St aboutthe talking When you start (2020) University ofCambridge, Hannah Holmes&GemmaBurgess, hardest.” poorest willbehitthe the and millionsofpeopleaffected, the for exclusion ofdigital impacts worsethe make to UKstands the gripping currently crisis publichealth the isclear: One thing “I just want to say this sentence... “I justwant this say to many people arethan aware of. UK and ismore widespreadthe of social fabric the through run which deepinequalities of the exclusion “Digital facet isanother 27

as goodthe actionsthey enableanddeliver. Roseanna Diasalsoremindsusthat Visionsareonly extended consultation, but where’s the action?extended butwhere’s the consultation, involve visions that city-wide communitiesinan these underpin processes that of somethe misgiving mesome of the for encapsulates really exactly not example adigital butthatknow that’s own hands, so I their into matters and taking you know,And then, you seepeopleuprising make moves, everybody. casefor the butitisn’t isaplaceyou canmove Bristol and Ithink and ‘… we’re goodatspeakingaspirationally really poverty asitsnow divideordigital still adigital is are spacesthey stillbeing used &there those when youCommunity centres -butactually goto & Digital Placemaking Fellow& Digital Roseanna Producer Dias,Creative West ofEngland of the Sobers, UniversityDr Shawn

19 CONNECTING BRISTOL CONNECTING REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY in this context that’s whatwe’re doing.” context that’s in this that think necessarily anddon’t stabilisation because innovation ofscaling and isasystem we aboutinvention a lot talk innovation, not iswhy they’re before scale. Which readyfar to we’re userexperiences andideas prototyping aboutBristol, misunderstand community really investment what the Andthat’s them. having ready isn’t whenwe’re technology the is that ideaskeep reason coming around these the 29 28 Local IndustrialStrategy The andthe SmartCity SmartRegion form partofthe a placeforHighTech andCreativeDigitalbusiness. England regionhave developed astrong narrative as Over the lastdecade,Bristolandthe widerWest of more than others. achieve, itisclearthat far someaspectsmovedforward Looking moredeeplyatthe Visionandwhat ithoped to As ClareReddington, Watershed, notes have beenwhat wasintended. In someways, this mainstreameconomicfocusmaynot and encouraging clean, inclusivelocalbusinessgrowth. The Tech Nation Report 2017 reportsthat Bristoldigital businessesgenerate £2.9Billion peryeartothe UKeconomy, https://technation.io/insights/report-2018/bristol/ West ofEngland Local IndustrialStrategy, West ofEnglandCombined Authority, (2019), https://www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/ourstrategy/

28 aimedatinwardinvestors

“A of lot relationships and create change. relationships change. and create build those “It takes timeto For Roseanna Dias,this isnosurprise, lessquickly,forward or atleastlessvisibly. These aspectsappeartohave moved divides that stillframe the city’s inequalities. tackledDigital City exclusion andthe wealthandhealth focused onthe community. Ithoped toensure that the However, the Connecting BristolVisionwasalso the mostresilienttothe currenteconomic disruption. Digital businessesprove themselves tobeamongst that itwillcontinuetobeimportantpost-pandemic as and newinvestmenttothe region.The likelihood is of what has beenachieved. Itattracts bright people The DigitalEconomy significantpart isclearlyavery added gross domesticproduct (GVA) contribution the regionmakes tothe UKvalue Bristol’s headline has becomethe prodigious the Tech NationannualDigitalEconomy reports, However, asmultiplestudiesmake clear, suchas 29

Croft. Itwas aclassic regeneration not Croft. Stokes andeven Easton instance… for networks… centre around localactivity local highstreets, nowhave: neighbourhoods many ofthose we now diversity that ofneighbourhoods the a more &opencity…ifyou tolerant lookat in many itisincreasingly senses,&Ilike think to form partofthe next phase ofdevelopment. butMikedrafted wonders iftheir digitalstorieswill have certainlydeveloped sincethis Visionwas Mike Rawlinson notesthat the city’s neighbourhoods PlacemakingFellow& Digital Roseanna Producer Dias,Creative me.” narrative. surprise Itdoesn’t from the have lostoutorbeenmissedcommunities that againitisthe City Vision Digital this within that interesting itreally plans. Ifound our strategic into factored often not And that’s imagine to find imagine to yourself in... most opencities you could isoneof the Bristol “I think rather than bemoreup-front andexplicit. meant Bristolhad itsambition, to“smuggle-in” elements ofBristol’s aspiration. This DigitalCity Funders werereluctant tosupportthe community implementation overthe lastdecadewasthat For ClareReddington, amajorchallenge of Clare Reddington, CEO,WatershedClare government…” into stuff always smuggling this reasons andwe’reThey other fundedusfor bit. that funded usfor supposethey I don’t bitsdothey.nobody gives ashitaboutthose end visionandinthe a triple-bottom-line It’s Mike CityID Rawlinson, ofitsnext chapter…” part that’s sure, butIthink yet city I’mnot ofthe story digital the to relates environments… inthose howtransformation that model, butwe’ve significant seenquite with financialimpact. with and itblendssocialimpact isambitious,engaged in,this we are that “… everything

20 CONNECTING BRISTOL CONNECTING REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY something that Clareisactivelythinking about. and newhybrid businessmodelstoemerge is will createaninflectionpointfornew thinking The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic study.” impact of smugglingisadifficult efficacy it,the isn’t track to difficult Butit’s then. wouldn’t have happenedatallbackchange and nudgingpeoplealong.Like, active scary person ispersonto isreally change intimate, andsmall.Andreally,disparate is change become very they breadcrumbs, Like those track. to madeisdifficult we undoubtably that impact the ourway ofsmugglingmeantthat think because I tell hard to it’s knowI don’t andIthink believe really didn’t in. we that asystem for children “We kindofbecameposter otherwise –butinother ways, itwas farfrom satisfying, previous sectionofthis studywouldnothave happened ways, manyofthe breadcrumbs describedinthe Smuggling wasastrategy that worked wellinsome measures ofwhatitiswe need... and growth are bad really now andpost-COVID, money that right “I justwonder whether… add uptomorethan the sumoftheir parts. like Clare,he questionswhether the breadcrumbs abouttheresident) iscomplimentary Visionbut Consultancy (andalong-termBristol Services Richard Potter, Chief Technology atMicrosoft Officer Clare Reddington, CEO,WatershedClare how goingforward?” dowe doboth again.So,We off that turn really can’t culture. houses, with leavecouldn’t their disabledpeoplewhopeople, especially We’ve more engageda lot successfully We more hybridised thing… needamuch real world. the we’re into goingback andnow months, four for all donedigital hybrid businessmodels,sowe’veneed for isthe excitedreally about…goingforward I’m allowed… things thinking oneofthe kindof willbemore of this and sothere Richard Potter, Microsoft Richard “It’s strikingly prescient it? isn’t strikingly “It’s Media Centre (no relation)alsosensesanewshift. progress butCarolyn Hassan,DirectorofKnowleWest at Locality, notesthe cultural issuesthat have slowed last decade.Paul Hassan,Development Manager responded tothe recentlyandoverthe DigitalCity organisations) have and community Sector (voluntary from the that community considers how the Third Several ofthe provided interviewees aperspective communities to build solutions for their city.” their buildsolutions for communities to enterprising entrepreneurial enablethose that facilities by disperses andaugmented support are are enablingcapabilitiesthat there that plan but determined down bigarchitecturally sometop not key this the pointbehinditisthat but that, way ofsaying simplistic an incredibly problems. That’s solve to their using technology peoplecaninnovate citythat aspects ofthe capabilityandempowerment inall is sufficient are oneswhere is,there there cityreally smart From a view my of what Ithink editorialised City. aDigital would characterise things So,allofthese beenreleasediPhone hadn’t then. era, the at least adifferent technologically You world was in2005whenthe that wrote and DigitalCities Richard Potter onEnterprise

West Media Centre Hassan,KnowleCarolyn mainwayit isnow ofcommunicating.” the pandemic hasmadeitrelevantthe because but ourpriority’ isn’t us,‘well, said to this pasthad inthe sector voluntary ofthe a lot was thatbased organizationusingtechnology we asacommunity- faced challenges ofthe A lot itwill.doors. Ithink ofourlives, soIhopeitopensup beapart to going now it’s everybody recognises that think oftechnology. benefits Ibeen receptive the to peoplehave whether say to early too it’s “I think Paul Hassan,Locality communityinterest.” to as antipathetic andare seen are trusted not companies, of 2000bubblesort groups, the way that the due to isultimately ofthat alot I think andIT. ofdigital bemistrustful to and tend ofDIYspace beinasort to tend at allthey space digital have to beeninthe not tend sector third world. People the in that whocome into peoplehaven’t beenimmersed justthat “… it’s

21 CONNECTING BRISTOL CONNECTING REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY Community Centre. Makala Cheung,Filwood instead.”doing] butjustuseInstagram [we tagging were butdoallthe use Instagram we saidwellSo, then we maybe should just we were like oh,we have Instagram. people,andthen peopleand responding to with incommunities becauseyou’rethings working ourproject, develop ittakes longerto finished popular.became really timewe’d Andby the itwas it undergroundbackground, andthen upandgrew inthe Instagram They started idea. gianthadthe localbutalsoabigtech very we were work that doing the through translated a local community and itbecame reality and almostlike airandwe ideaslive were inthe It’s local version ofInstagram. webeing before knew ita and it ended up basically “We were doingaproject thanfunctionality canbeeasilycreatedlocally. substantially moreinvestmentanddeliverbetter mainstream technology solutions,which have technology tocompetewith projects, itisdifficult working withthe onthe community designof Community Centre, reflectsonhow, even when Makala Cheung, CreativeDirectoratFilwood

years ago, back to 2005. to years ago,back &place15 ideaofdigital the on focussed was very “Bristol to unpick… difficult now it’s “… Thelandscape we’re in been ground-up intheir useandapplication. These maybetop-downintheir designbuthave Facebook particularity platforms, andWhatsApp. the pandemicfrom usingexisting mainstream the factthat communitieshave benefitedduring Generally, appearreconciled to interviewees of the West ofEngland of the Sobers, UniversityDr Shawn they’d tools got…” justusingthe communicate ways connect and to found neighbourhoods different Ithink then… were aboutback thinking down we biginitiatives, civickindofusesthat top levels, aren’ton neighbourhood the that are we’ve that that access to tools got of the isavernacular ground upuse there but Ithink spot hard to can bequite they Ithink things. of sorts postcodes, WhatsApp groups &those particular to talk Facebook groups that up.So,you neighbourhood dohavethings these set to On Facebook peoplehave come together than tothe State,Local Government and/orBusiness. indeed, why the foritfallshere, responsibility rather whether this isthe right focusfor the sectortotake and Digital inclusion.There isabroader questionasto Third Sectorhas playedacentral role insupporting described how,Interviewees duringthe pandemic,the Mike CityID. Rawlinson, we’re that now address.”factors to having and things walkability other &allthese want promote to independent businesses,that upgroups,who want want set to promote to city new the micro-curatorsauthors, within generation comingfromabout -content new creating, -whathyper-localthink messagingis whatit ever messageto didandIdifferent a iscarrying them within content the those, your WhatsApps, whatever, useof butthe exist currently –your Facebook, that channels have develop hadto albeitusing networks, onnew & typesofnetworks back fallen outofnecessitypeoplehaveSo Ithink… rest ofit. &allthe AirB’n’B to through right global providers your Facebook, of information… ubiquitous awholehostofdifferent subsequently actually, itwas taken over by your Googlesand locally and richness of distinctive stories local harbourer become this global; Itdidn’t became point,you internet know that At the

greater freedomandshared purpose, pandemic might bealooseningofbureaucracy, She ishopeful that onepositiveoutcomeofthe to becomecontentproducers andDigitalmakers. important, soisensuringthat citizens have the skills Centre suggeststhat, whilst Digitalinclusionis Carolyn Hassan,DirectorofKnowleWest Media West Media Centre Hassan,KnowleCarolyn lost,Ithink.” got andpurpose agile… focus way ofbeingmore inthe got things some ofthese but around privacy andsecurity ofconcern lot a bureaucracy… sothere’s loosening upofthe a andmaybe focus pandemic hascreated the mean we asinyou andIbutsociety. that I think else—Idon’t ineverybody interested weren’t that we where we went aperiod I think through want?... solutionsthey the help peoplecreate connectivity how doesthis tech, how isallthis we’ve about,recent pandemic,that beenthinking the through something, just consumers?... that’s makers than andproduces rather ofcontent relevant.all stillvery Buthow dowe create online, andsafe competent feeling families, highlevelSo, this within literacy ofdigital aboutnow.more deeply we think needto things are some there “I think

22 CONNECTING BRISTOL CONNECTING REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY This is something that those big tech companies bigtech those that This issomething whatwe’veyears Isthat istrust. got willbe bigover nextorganisations that 10-20 the selling pointsofcommunity unique … oneofthe technology… make bestofthe sure we the get to two betweenand someiteration things those ofminds somemeeting isprobably there I think have beenthere.community organisationsthat longevity ofthe the WhatsApp groups with spaceandmutualaidgroups and digital of the localising phaseishow you energy throw the next really ofthis aspart opportunity … the disperse ordissolve… needandthenbureaucracy… the itcouldmeet needinganover aboutnot complicatedit’s aboutimmediacy phonedriven… it’s smart very They’ve beenledby Facebook andhave been mutualaidgroups.of the emergence the with really “It has already started new methods ofdigitallyenabledcollaboration. and support,basedonlighter ways ofworking and a new, moreagileandresponsiveformofactivism with. Like Carolyn, he alsoseesthe for opportunity andthecommunity neighbourhoods they’re working to provide data-richinsights directlytothe local tech anddatasavvywithorganisations joiningforces sees potentialforthe Third Sectortobecomemore Paul Hassanissimilarlypositiveaboutthe future.He

through new feature and that kindofstuff... new andthat through feature constantly Soitfilters platform. the for dynamicandsexy create increasingly content us to get to istrying led,which visually isso like which Instagram, “… aplatform Paul Hassan,Locality city…” edgesaround the come atthe to need…itis starting aparticular to customised isvery that directly dothings issues andto highlight are they in,to that neighbourhoods the about talk andto dothings to data that collate to ofstarting benefit alsoseethe And then permission.. their orwithout with isused data their way that more consciousofthe itaspeoplebecomework outhow navigate to ownership aswe interesting willbecomereally anddata andtrust mostofthem, haven’t got, perceptions ofalackinterestor activism. on these alackofpresencecreating platforms; contemporaries as they facepressureto“perform” focus. Roseanna describesthe exhaustion feltby her They withaparticularlocal createdaglobaloutcry place duringthe periodofthe research. statue inBristolweresignificantevents that took andtheMatter topplingofthe Edward Colston suchasInstagram.platforms, BlackLives cost associatedwithfeedingmainstreamDigital Placemaking Fellow alsowarnsof the human Roseanna Dias,CreativeProducer &Digital

used against the people who create it.” peoplewho create used against the often we it’s know that from ofinstances lots entities andproviding that ofbig data alot corporate to cultural capital their and gifting free labouressentially …they’re performing health… mental to detrimental quite also feel can us,sothey issues arehow affecting these conversations hyperin those visibilityof andthe hyper visibilityofbeingapersoncolourthis space and happeninginthat a power inwhat’s andhow there’s this who haven’t engagedwith way or different but in avery this engaging with peoplewhoare members and other and family friends white whatitmeansfor space; andthen exhausted by but alsofeel that allies whosupport people of colour other and whatitmeansto beoverloaded space meansto inthat What that andcolleagues. friends myfor Black meansspace like andwhatthat Instagram ona debate that nuancesofhaving the onlineand hasbeenperformed How that word deliberately. Iusethat quite performed, my peersandcolleagueshow ithas been amongst ahuge debate have ignited really that year,used this BLMuprisings context ofthe inthe abouthow hasbeen it[Instagram] …thinking space are you even doinganything… inthat from perform are beingseento not if we asactivistfrom wherever you come itself butfrom peers,from ourselves that platformof pressure, justfrom not the like alot feels there’s often there I think

thinking ofthis intermsof“Digitalspacescare”, with the expectations She ofhyper-visibility. is that might beneededby peoplewho aredealing Roseanna goesontotalkaboutthe ofsupport type doubt that weshould have donemore. challenging enough?There isalways the nagging Digital Leadership overthe lastdecadebeen we might challenge ourselves, has ourcollective Perhaps the biggesttensionistowhat extent, the onethat has dominated. making iteasyforthe economicnarrative tobecome uptakecommunity has, inmanyways beenslow, and the cultural reasonsthat help toexplain why the city’s andhow DigitalPlatforms valueisdistributed; always present;the questionofwho buildsandowns byto feedDigitalplatforms beingHyperVisibleand abhorrent impactsofDigitalPoverty versus the pressure tensions that lieatthe heart ofthe DigitalCity, the In summary, these accountsdraw tothe attention & Digital PlacemakingFellow& Digital Roseanna Producer Dias,Creative somenourishment.” andget of performing, haveto spaceswhere you canjustbe,instead rest asapolitical action,andwhatitmeans about whoare thinking kind ofspace;artists peopleworking in this other andthe work with youngconversation creatives the I with that of care mightlooklike anddeveloping in that physical space andpotentially what adigital spaces ofcare. I’mstilldefining digital create abouthow alot we think to might “I’m starting

23 CONNECTING BRISTOL CONNECTING REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY 31 30 equipment intothe historic Council Chamber forthe to Council Tower blocks; installingwebcasting strapping Routers, which they had madeorrefurbished, of BristolWireless, the coop, localcommunity power oflocalDigitalinfrastructure. Irecallimages first sectionofthis studyrecognisesthe convening that wehad lostsomething that wasoncethere. The I chose theasIhad astrong term“re-localise” sense the Internet.” developed wastoaskwhether weshould “re-localise or indeedcouldberebalanced.The provocation I felt the trendtowardsglobalisationneededtobe, To finish,Iwaskeen toexplore whether interviewees Reddington, CEO,WatershedClare personal.” very local feels anonymous it.The word isn’t very a globalisedone, it’s than more quickly much in that infrastructure ofthe are part me,Ican see howfor people localinternet, you the say “When LOCALISING THEINTERNET SECTION C: RE- Hills areEvil, (2011), https://www.watershed.co.uk/ished/mediasandbox/projects/2010/hills-are-evil/ Hello Lamppost, (2013), https://www.playablecity.com/projects/hello-lamp-post/

can equal local.can equal digital think “I don’t swapped the “B” for Bristol with a “C” forCloud. swapped the “B”forBristolwitha“C” this senseofphysicality has beenlostasB-Net Bristol’s hills canbe would talkback,andcontemplatingjusthow “evil” Wilson, Independent Consultant, saidclearly, no, It wasaquestionthat splitthe Paul interviewees. I think that approach couldhappenbecause of approach that I think example. for Birmingham’s connect to necessarily barrier, asitwouldn’tputting upanother Building your own isinasense infrastructure couldbemany there options.think iswhatapplications doIwant? question AndIthe but more infrastructure, whatitenables. So,the about bothered Iamnot quickly… global very and endsupbecomingvirtual digital I think 6.1 City, beingabletosay“Hello” toalamppost kiosk inthe shopping Centre, andviaPlayable first time;beingabletoemailfrom atouchscreen RE-LOCALISING

THOUGHTS ON 31 ifyouareinawheelchair:

30 that for reasons of efficiency, security andtime. security for reasonsofefficiency, replicating Digitalinfrastructure atthe locallevel, also steers awayfrom the notionofrebuildingor Richard Potter, Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft, view of that isIwouldview love ofthat localised incredibly andmy ofthat ontop property intellectual rich development the for ofincredibly service that isaninevitable commoditisationofBut there experiences ofacity. andthe data the around “BigTech”anxieties monopolising is some there that accept completely city andIcan the istransforming that property intellectual ownership ofthe the here is,ultimately, challenge I supposethe Paul Wilson no.” internet, wantSo, Idon’t re-localise the to do.applications that down, break mindhaving butIdon’t them to wantI don’t walls infrastructural create to Iwant want nationalism.So,Idon’t putupawall, to it’s anditcomesfrom Trump. Huawei Ithink thing the

can andshoulddo. whatBristol innovation and that’s onaplatform bigger experiences we couldbeworking on. from could detract the which waste timethere wecommercial agendahere could Ijustthink no waste andthere’s not timeby doingthat, and secure way let’s by someoneelsethen confident, more efficient, inamuch created hasalready been that recreate something ifweto would struggle My concern bethat community.the stillinnovate to anddeliverplatform value in sitonthat experiences that andthe data their empowered canstillhave control way of that landscape beyond inacityitsown that sitsinthe that There isincredible opportunity where we shouldbeinvesting time. aspace not that’s cloud andIthink inside the connectivity, sits that andcomputing storage, more commoditisedaspects of recreate the to intrying here,preconception butIseelittlemerit isa world, so there come fromI’ve this clearly Richard Potter, Microsoft Richard

24 RE-LOCALISING THE INTERNET THE RE-LOCALISING REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY relevant the to hubs…” them channel could then but we DBSchecks… their city councilthrough thevolunteers, whowere through alldealtwith developedteam To isconnecting the Fro, which a locallevel. Carolyn describeshow, tothefrom platform acitywide needsthat existed at The challenge that arose withhow todirectvolunteers 32 For Carolyn, calledMadeOpen based platform independent webdeveloper tocreateacommunity- Carolyn andthe teamhave been working withan viewpoint.Overmanyyears,expressed adifferent Carolyn Hassan,Director, KnowleWest MediaCentre, volunteered...” about6000peoplethatvolunteer… there’s encourage peopleto suddenly pandemic to relationships with is very important.” is very relationships with build to you are peoplethat trying or the community placeorthe be aboutthe to are recognised that ortools a systems to kindofreturning that people, andsoIthink According toCarolyn, Made Open, https://madeopen.co.uk/our-team Made Open,https://madeopen.co.uk/our-team “technology has relied on trust and hasrelied ontrust “technology

“it really neededthe“it really 32 “someofmy .

Clare Reddington, CEO,WatershedClare andnetworks.” strong localinternets other resonances with outandfind canripple internet andresonances. Astrong ripples localit’s butIguess interesting, willbe very and that now change That hasto work. on international isbased Ihave a whole loadofwork that that connectionsandIknow about international much andI’mvery seeitasachoice, I alsodon’t inventive are alsoinclusive… solutionswhich attractive, compelling, makingreally to go back butwe market, can technology international the local because wein make can’t changes structural the to takes usback whom.And,inaway that for whatnow is…around inclusion, whoisauthoring activism we’re the involved that interesting init’s re-localising… the Iammore with “I think could also ripple outwards andhavecould alsorippleoutwards widerimpact. toactlocallybringaboutchangegift butthat this both. ClareReddington surmisedthat itwaswithin our wasn’t aneither/or choice; itwaspossibletoaspire alsosuggestedthatInterviewees Local verses Global

capability for you have.capability for to legitimate is anabsolutely that “Hey Bristol!” with Siri “…replacing Googleor idea provoked an interestingandenthusiastic response. could openupifweweretosay“Hey Bristol”.The toconsiderwhatinterviewees opportunitiesthey felt Bristol isjustanother datalabel.To counterthis, Iinvited me, “Which one?’highlighting that forthese platforms, when Iraise myphone andsay”Hey Bristol”,Siriasks Bixby, arebecomingmoresophisticated allthe time yet Digital Assistants suchas,Siri,Alexa, Cortana and orplacecouldbelike. DigitalCity re-localised interaction withthe DigitalWorld andimaginewhat a outside ofthe that globalplatforms frame ourdaily conceptuallyandpractically,It isdifficult, tostep 6.2 FILWOOD! HEY WORLD! HEY KNOWLE WEST! HEY

HEY SIRI! HEY BRISTOL!

Richard Potter, Microsoft Richard would thrive.” to allow that tools Bristol innovations [creating] like enabling that… would love pushingonwith seeBristol to space.AndI grabs inthis stillupfor it’s we do,but that forefront ofeverything atthe stillnot soit’s an enablingtool, It’s city. ofcommunitiesinthe prosperity localdevelopment loop into andthea feedback has city that commerce ofthe the into connected ishow that currency couldwe inadigital bring instance, dofor to poundwas trying Bristol the like currency what adigital experience with this like fuelling ofthings sitsupon,think that that and whole recreateinfrastructure the But don’t try grabs.for would up beabsolutely citizen,that a Bristol experiences of was the tunedto that interface wouldsphere ofknowledge have that auser would amoreexperience generate that local You’re you saying would like anew create to

25 RE-LOCALISING THE INTERNET THE RE-LOCALISING REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY 34 33 ourown city for needs?Thetechnology it inthe Why we don’t California? keep goto in Bristol of moneypercentage singletransaction onevery App,why Pay shoulda or a Bristol or Bristol like, “Hey Bristol!” services could buildthrough we ofthings The sort that? should we putupwith point. We’re products, why their sourcefor data globalbusinesses,weFor are those just adata services? andlocalizemore ofthese quo status You know, why that we shouldn’t challenge UK. happeninthe doesn’t cities, that huge believer devolution ingreater to Barcelona,like Bordeaux. I’ma Bristol, hegemony, cities Californian that it’s wanting challenge are to absolutely that world cities aroundif you the lookatthe about. oftimethinking a lot I’ve spent things of one of the core the to isabsolutely “This currency Bristol” idea.BenChairs Bristol£,the local Ben Heald,SIFT, issimilarlyexcited by the “Hey wider socio-economicandpoliticalshift, the “Hey Bristol”ideaascoretoaneedfor Digital Placemaking Prototypes, https://bristolbathcreative.org/digital-placemaking-prototypes The Bristol£,https://bristolpound.org 33 that Richard refers toabove.Hesees an interfacethat presentsonlythe hyper-local, imagining awhole newInternetdesignbasedon England, plays withthe “Hey Bristol!”Idea, Dr Shawn Sobers, University ofthe West of of the West ofEngland of the Sobers, UniversityDr Shawn weird allthe andwonderful.” pop upwith but itwould Itwould fascinating. bereally it mightbe.Yeah, ofdesign, onehellofafeat website orwhatevermight benext abakery to be like whenyou zoomin? A bike workshop maps andwhatwould situated geographically the were websites that different with populated was basically that are-designed earth with looklike internet whatwould the “I’m thinking, Ben Heald,SIFT. council.” the economic perspective with Youtax. from an justifythat couldeasily givingyou deductionsonyourthat, council doing somepointsortokens for could get And,you etc? them, shoppingfor do their inonpeople, keep tidy,citizens to parks check Why encourages we don’t that have asystem redesigned italready exists. isnow be needto common, it doesn’t dothat to

future iflocaliseddigitalapproaches aretoscale, convening roles that citieswillneedtotake onin Bristol butMike pointstothe wider curatorial and Pop Mapiscurrentlyfocussedonthe centreof the publicrealmovercars andhighways. events andprioritisingwalking andcyclingroutes and andtimesensitiveinformation revealing hyper-local interface that shows the inadistinctlylocalway, city This seeks topresentthe userwithanintuitivemap people themselves. the peopleandfor is…by the that information developto Pop with Map-anideaofproviding it can bedeveloped were in a way that trying inaway...and provide that andstructure that, prototype calledPop Map been commissionedtodevelop aDigitalPlacemaking ID, working with Calvium andthe Council, City have similartothea little onethat Shawn describes.City Mike Rawlinson, ID,isactivelybuildinganinterface City the supply of data andcontent ofdata supply the take cities to ownershipfor of role afundamental “…there’s

34 .

Mike goesontosuggestonepossiblesolution, Mike CityID. Rawlinson, city.” ofthe & representative stories more accurate them cityandittells in the agencies organisations, businesses, different different isco-plannedwith up way that in realstrategy timeanditdoesinabottom ofitsresilience aspart updating information rolewhere ofproviding ittakes onthe / acity, like Commonsfor aData “something we’rethat now address.” to having & factors things walkability other &allthese want promote to independent businesses,that upgroups,who want want set to promote to city new the micro-curatorsauthors, within generation comingfromabout content new a sense ofauthenticity,done with it’s donelocally, andit’s delivering your service upagileway amore of bottom So it’s

26 RE-LOCALISING THE INTERNET THE RE-LOCALISING REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY 36 35 West Media Centre Hassan, KnowleCarolyn environment… dothings.” andto a safe meet to time, whowe andwhatwe to, relate do…build about how we There’s something useourtoday?” bestuseofmy time the want askitare, “what’s to you kindofquestions would the here, andIthink “Hey Knowle West”? You would want come to community… What would happenif you said buildasenseofplace andbuild to of thing, why we needa“Hey,that’s Knowle West!” kind of Bristol, even they’re part feel communities don’tproblem that original the to “It goesback use ofdata,through projects like Whose Data been along-standingchampion forthe community’s Carolyn Hassan,KnowleWest MediaCentre, has happen ifweweretosay, “Hey KnowleWest!”. the BristolApproach Whose Data, KnowleWest Media Centre, https://kwmc.org.uk/projects/whosedata/ The Bristol Approach, KnowleWest MediaCentre, https://kwmc.org.uk/projects/bristolapproach/ 36 Iasked Carolyn what might 35 and both internallyandwiththe restofthe city. Filwood” connectthe tobetter localcommunity, Filwood Community Centre, wouldlike “Hey In asimilarvein,Makala Cheung from neighbouring Community Centre. Makala Cheung,Filwood like,and Hey hey Filwood were andit’s here!” you. meet You’rethen person that to connected So,anyone them. can connect, andor justalert or whoare appand itpings residents… have this peoplewhodocommunityworkSo, I’mthinking project down there... somebody… we’ve aboutdoinga beenthinking from Knowle West to I’ve talk beenmeaningto peopleandgo,ohyou’reyou into justbump events networking are allthese “…there where

to the voicesandknowledge oflocalpeople, Internet wouldalways provide aconduitorchannel local andglobal,imaginingaworldwhere the both the physical andDigitalrealmsbutalsothe MD, bringsusbacktoahybrid space,which links Finally, DickPenny, Consultant andformerWatershed times of the day, completely randomised. day,times ofthe completely locally. peopleatdifferent And they’re different you’ve someone live you got to talking wholived same whereverjust the you world, are inthe you ofadisembodiedvoiceSo, instead get that great ifyou someonelocal. could speakto itwould of allbutwhenyou there be get first you’ll research haveforeign donesomeremote somewhereso if you’re completely arriving between physical and digital… is aseamlessinterconnect which how dowe finda space,hybrid now is challenge the “I think

and former MDofWatershedand former Penny,Dick independentConsultant beco-produced to locally.” got localise it,it’s to how to you Ifwea massive felt. want difference would make that someonelocal Ithink to talking somewhere like Taiwan, ifyou you felt were helplineandthey’rephone, you in call the You your like, mobile with say know whatit’s

27 RE-LOCALISING THE INTERNET THE RE-LOCALISING REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY 37 LisaMangum Lockett, The Forgotten DIGITAL AT PLACEMAKING THEEDGE 7. CONCLUSION us in.They hold us together.” hold they holdusback don’t pieces. They to us from falling keep to arebut they there really “People edges are bad, think ”The Forgotten Lockett”, LisaMangum, Shadow MountainPublishing, (2011) 37 Ben Heald,SIFT whatwill happen.” that’s maybe neighbourhoods,it gives the to more primacy centre. Maybe isgoingon in the interesting like won’t feel neighbourhoods everything the aswell, neighbourhoods maybe goodfor it’s grabs way. interesting inreally Andmaybe You upfor know, kindof, everything’s it’s cities… other way itconnects with and the wayconnections, travel, peopleview the Bristol city where people live; round the all hinterlands city, centre ofthe the high streets, incredible for are absolutely consequences out,the play does centre… ifthat inthe amassivegot office andthey’ve office, the aboutgoinginto thinking have they noplansofeven say to them for ”They’re aglobalbusiness… From Home Ben HealdonWorking

locked-out oftheir own country, city, townorplace used tothe prospect that they might belocked-in or aspeoplegrowbuilding senseofinter-dependency setofchallenges.travel There bringsadifferent is a transport isjusttoopublic,whilst flyingandinternational are increasinglychoosing totravel by caraspublic I canhear the machine rebooting.Outside,people willbecomepartofournewnormal. uncertainty situation willlast.Perhaps the isthat onlycertainty isunclearnordoweknowpatterns how longthe extent towhich wewillresumeourpre-COVID-19 out oftheir homes andbacktotheir desks. The workersreopen schools andoffice arebeingprised sparking allaround. Governmentisscrambling to As Isittowritethis conclusion,the machine is 7.1 FRAMING THE CONCLUSION

away from the centreandtowards“The Edge”. nowseekto‘de-centralise’,does society power shifting to useframe the study’s conclusion,towhat extent debate, which Ikeep returningtoo andhave chosen The pandemichas alsoopenedanother important pollution levels that the pandemic cleverly engineered. the climateemergency andthe benefitstonatureand seductive, when consideringthe realimpactsof very each other? For many, the idealooks latter increasingly withtheof ourconfinesandre-connect planet in E.M.Forster’s The Machine Stops,willwe burst free to remainthe prisoners ofZoom orlike the character Where doesthis leavethe Arewedestined DigitalCity? eradicated everywhere. risks. Pandemics arenoteradicated untilthey are depending onafluctuatinganalysis ofinter-connected

28 DIGITAL PLACEMAKING AT THE EDGE THE AT PLACEMAKING DIGITAL REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY 39 38 experiences, morevisible, whetherand different pandemic has alsomadethe edgesofsociety, for the first timethrough ahyper locallens.The experiencing ourownplacesandcommunities all becomeedgedwellers inrecentmonths, perhaps At the sametime,Iamalsostruck by how wehave there ispressureto regroup andcentralise. distancing requirementsaretobemaintained–butstill seemsuntenableifcurrentsocial which often offices, economic pressuretoreturnfrom home centre tocity than ourlocalcornershops andhigh streets;andthe every daydemands, somehow prove tobelessresilient systems,in-time delivery which areoptimisedtomeet system ispushed downtoalocallevel; globalisedjust- forournationaltest andtracefailure andresponsibility The the pandemic has re-ignited discussionas,success, assettransfers.community policy instruments suchasDevolution Dealsand regions andcitiescommunities,framed through Governmentsandis frequentlyplayedoutbetween Decentralising isanoldargument and debatethat 7.2 POWERING UP THE EDGES “Edge Lifeonthe City: New Frontier”, Joel Garreau,(Anchor Books), 1991 “Edge Computing Challenges”, Gartner, (August 2020),

Bristol Vision15 years ago.As Dickrecalls, emerge when wewerepreparingthe Connecting had beenoneofthe mostinterestingthemes to the edges,or“the margins” aswecalledthem, thatreminded meinourinterview joiningup It wasDickPenny, formerWatershed MD,who edge, the questioniscanweavoidfallingoff? feels like itispushing the worldclosertothe andtheLives Matter ClimateEmergency certainly of globalcrises,the COVID-19 pandemic,Black experienced by peopleofcolour. The combination so fallingfurther behind, orthe socialinjustices with DigitalPoverty, unabletostudyon-lineand it’s the children ofpoorhouseholds who areliving empowering, itdelivers more…” more it’s more buy-in action hasfar more localised usisthat What ittells and centralisation. COVID,response allbeenaboutcontrol to it’s and centralise. county’s Whenyou lookatthe peoplewant controlcentre’… to it isjustthat power network atthe margins,not ‘the isatthe were developing ideas, our[ConnectingBristol] most vocally when weHP Labs]whosaidthis itwas Director of JohnManley“I think [former

there andneedtodothis. isanopportunity of the mainstreamandperhaps, morethan ever, Bristol’s isbuiltonpushing story the boundaries communities anEdge and(iii)by “Keeping itEdgy”. new Digitalskills andcapacitiesthat willgiveour networks andEdge Computing, (ii)by developing current context in3ways, (i)viaDe-centralised right todustofthis ideaandapplyitafreshtoour I have cometothe conclusionthat the time isnow suggests The leadingTechnology researchconsultancy, Gartner, data andthe end user;towardsthe edge. processing powerispushed closertothe sourceofthe processed inasingle,all-encompassing Cloud, that where, pointstoashift insteadofdatabeing Edge computingisanevolving technology architecture leaders will need to developleaders willneed to amultiyear edge and operations Infrastructure customised. highly deploymentsis broad have anditsearly been (I) A SILVER LINING) COMMUNITYCLOUD (WITH

EDGE COMPUTING, THE “The edge computing use caselandscape edgecomputing “The

idea Cloud infrastructure toJoelGarraue’s Edge City By becomingthe first toapplyalocalisedCommunity stakeholders. spoke toboththe globaltechcompanies andlocal was the prototype “open, programmable and city” advantage. As Paul Wilson described,BristolisOpen technological terminologytobuildDigitalCity Bristol has atrack recordofappropriating new investors andthe city’s peopleandcommunities. time, ensuringgreatertangiblebenefits tocorporate oftheattention globaltechnology world-butthis by communitieswouldpotentiallybegamechanging. - a“Community Cloud”-innetworks that aremanaged architecture that embedsprocessing powerandstorage Developing anewdecentralised experimental Digital of diversity, anddata.” location,protection challenges addresses the that strategy computing 39 , Bristolcouldagaincapturethe interestand

38

29 DIGITAL PLACEMAKING AT THE EDGE THE AT PLACEMAKING DIGITAL REBOOTING THE DIGITAL CITY how the pressure toperform–beactors inthe Digital in Bristolduringthe describes outcry BlackLivesMatter account ofthe impact ofInstagram on peopleofcolour Roseannato beinghyper-visible. Dias’s powerful This canequate studyalso remindsusthat hyper-local have atendencytowinout. reminds usthrough his variousaccounts,the newways oldandnewmediahere,between andasPaul Hassan There ismore than anecho ofthe 1990’s struggle building confidenceandtrust over the longerterm. that andstability hasaccountability beenimportantto reciprocal natureofrecentmutualaid initiativeswiththe the agile,real-time,tech-savvy, ultra-responsive and support infrastructure toemerge. This wouldblend also flagsthe ofcommunity potentialforanewstyle Sector have risentothe DigitalChallenge butthis study After years resistance,organisations inthe ofsoft Third for self-help andmutualaid. Facebook,Digital platforms, WhatsApp, utilisingthem months communitieshave benefitedfrom mainstream This studyidentifiesmultipleinstanceswhere inrecent (II) COMMUNITIES WITH AN EDGE

screen kiosks providing geo-locativecontentbefore aheadscattered oftheir time.Bristolhad touch Many ofthe breadcrumbs setoutinthis reportwere Bristol’s strengths, particularlywhen itisthe edge. cutting However, beingonthe edgehas arguably, beenoneof are notinthe centre andtherefore, areperipheral. thatSome willworry beingonthe edgemeansyou controversial idea–butsomething has togive! to generate trust. Iappreciatethis maybea andto startwould beawaytobuildcapacity by Facebook, Google,Apple,(oreven Microsoft) champions, activistsorenablers, proudly sponsored Perhaps, Digital ataskforceoflocalcommunity benefit islikely totrickle downtothe locallevel. corporates, however, ifthis doesever succeed,little the enormousprofits madeby the globaltechnology air. Governmentsaround the World areseeking totax we provide, these wouldsimplybedead platforms all,withoutfor after the freelabourandcontentthat mustfalltotheof this responsibility owners platform participation.Inmyview,care forandre-energise much Powering the edgealsomeansfindingnewways to ratherCity than tobeitsproducers -canbeexhausting. (III)

KEEPING IT EDGY

themselves willneed torisethe challenge. be putbehind us,andofcourse, the Funders to bids,incaseFunders objected,needto The days ofsmuggling-inDigitalInclusion are deliberate, purposefulandexplicit. – bridgingthe physical andDigitalworldsinways that and the newbusinessmodelswillneedtobe“hybrid” content. The digital tapcannotnowsimplybeturnedoff it easierfordisabledpeopletoengagewithcultural inclusive Digitalaccessduringlockdown has made As ClareReddington, Watershed, providing observed, economic returns. falling backinsteadoneasypromises ofGVA and fornewpeopleandvoicestobe included,opportunity times beenreluctanttochampion its edginessasacore in QueensSquare.However, the has, city perhaps, at the BristolRiotsof1831 asaninteractive soundscape that HPLabs’ MobileBristolproject chose toreplicate to Banksy toExtinctionRebellion. Itisnocoincidence The alsothrives city onedginess–from toppling statues, communities”, anapproach that isstillfairlyunique. media centreinoneofthe city’s “edge leastwelloff and developed astateofthe art,eco-build,Digital beforepeoplehadmesh network mobiledevices such athing was invented;the largest openwireless

multi-faceted but incrediblypowerfultopic. perspectives isreallythe onlywaytoaddressthis brilliance, bringingtogether ourdistinctbutoverlapping And tomyfellowFellows, Iremaininaweofyour would have beeneasytowallow. doggedly kept the programme when movingforward it Dovey from University ofthe West ofEnglandwho have Racheal Burtonfrom Watershed andProfessor Jon huge thanks toSarah Addezio from BathSpaUniversity, I have greatlyappreciatedthe andoffer opportunity on what’s importanttotake withusintothe future. ideas from the present, which might help shape thinking space toshare somelearningfrom the past,aswell up tousandinasmallway, this studyhas provided a we choose todonext ,individuallyandasasociety, is is, however, aoncein lifetimeinflectionpoint.What that the pandemic, whilst catastrophic, isnotthe end.It In writing this study, I have taken comfort from realisation worked itswayintoourthoughts andfeelings. at aremarkable time,which, ofcourse, has thoughts.think different Ithas alsotaken place peopleand to createspacetalkdifferent The Fellowship has beenaremarkable opportunity, 8

A FINAL WORLD

30 DIGITAL PLACEMAKING AT THE EDGE THE AT PLACEMAKING DIGITAL Thank you.