Citation:
Date Presented:
February 6Abstract:
My thesis explores the role of communities in forging successful eco-cities. I compare two case studies, one in Yangzhou, China, and the other in Ivory Park, South Africa, to show how community participation has been deployed in eco-city development. The comparative nature of my project exposes the differences in meaning of "community" and the implications of participation in different political contexts. However, across political contexts, I show how community engagement serves a critical role in eco-city development by bridging the gap between society and technology. My methodology is primarily interview based from summer research done in both sites, analyzed through the lens of the Science and Technology Studies "sociotechnical imaginaries" discourse. I am hoping for feedback on how to strengthen the connection or dialogue between my two cases, and how to best work the imaginaries discourse into my analysis of both.