Smart Cities: past and future of urban areas in our society

During this talk, we will explore together what Manchester may have smelled like in the past. This will lead us to consider how some historians and cultural scientists can use smell to understand wider issues, such as labour conditions, air pollution and socioeconomic inequalities. Finally, we'll discuss how paying closer attention to our sense of smell can allow us to think differently about our daily lives. Throughout the talk, we'll discover together a few historical smells made by specialists perfumers for museums.

Smart buildings are rapidly reshaping how we live and work. This talk introduces the growing world of the Internet of Things- networks of connected sensors and devices that help buildings monitor themselves, optimise energy use, improve safety, and adapt to the needs of their occupants. We'll explore the promises and pitfalls of these technologies, and what smarter, more responsive built environments could mean for the future.

Be guided by a chartered town planner on the history of how our cities in England came to be. The talk will explore how town planning melds together the complex web of architecture, design, engineering and politics that goes into making and shaping our cities and how this could change in the future.