A new challenge for design

Text: Antoine Picon

Even though it may sound like a commonplace, we have arrived at yet another milestone which marks a new border within the digital age: it is the concept of smart cities, and in their wake, that of smart states apropos of which architecture (and within the framework of architecture, especially design which has been more closely associated with digital technology) has to face challenges unknown before. The primary focus has been shifted over to a more appropriate and efficient management of our cities, which we envision now as supported by digital technologies.