iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Marcos Dias @marcospdias.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Tadafumi Sato’s insightful presentation on mediatised manhole covers in Japan during the Aesthetics, Play and Mediated Urban Space panel that I chaired today at ECREA @mediacity-ecrea.bsky.social

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

As Ghassemi and Wood suggest in their contribution, withdrawal from urban AI systems is less a matter of logging off than addressing how we inhabit cities already infused by AI. We hope the dossier offers some means of wayfinding.

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

We end on what it means if the synthetic city turns out to be banal, if not at all trivial. Having an actionable, critical technical literacy of mundane AI systems — ones that recede from daily perception — is challenging.

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

For some initial bearings, read our introduction, which opens the dossier. There, we map out how AI agency gets attributed, what AI models can learn about urban life, and the temporal politics of such learning, where what is claimable gets settled in advance.

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

"AI" – as technology, technique, imaginary and debate – has clearly reached the city. Yet its arrival is more mundane than spectacle. A new Mediapolis dossier on "The Synthetic City" explores the implications of AI and related digital technologies for urban living.

Angular fragments of a nineteenth-century city plan, its regular chamfered blocks cut apart and rotated to different angles, radiating from a dense dark cluster at the centre. Hundreds of fine plotted lines run across and through them: horizontal and vertical bundles, long sweeping curves, and stray marks trailing off toward the empty white edges.

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Mediapolis Journal @mediapolis.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

OUT NOW: "The Synthetic City", edited by @scott-rodgers.bsky.social, @aneleh-redenetta.bsky.social, marcospdias.bsky.social, @diogo-ph22.bsky.social and saratrentham.bsky.social, examines the implications of AI for urban living. Read the full dossier here: www.mediapolisjournal.com/dossiers/dos...

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ECREA Media, Cities and Space Section @mediacity-ecrea.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Don't miss this podcast with @scott-rodgers.bsky.social and Chris Lukinbeak (University of Arizona) about his latest book, bridging the history of geographic, cartographic thinking and film theory with the technological and cultural changes that gave rise to the development of cameras and cinema.

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Mediapolis Journal @mediapolis.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

For Episode 9 of the "Mediapolis Now" voices series, @scott-rodgers.bsky.social speaks with Chris Lukinbeal about his recent book, "Cinematic Cartography: Scale, Analysis, Topography" (@routledgebooks.bsky.social, 2025). www.mediapolisjournal.com/2026/06/voic...

mediapolisjournal.com

Voices Episode 9: Chris Lukinbeal on Cinema, Cartography and the Spaces Between

In this episode of the Mediapolis Now Voices series, we speak with Chris Lukinbeal.

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

New post at Birkbeck! Lecturer in Digital Media and Creative AI (full-time, permanent, starting Sep 2026). This is a rare opportunity to shape teaching and research in one of the UK's most intellectually distinctive media programmes at a moment of new investment. cis7.bbk.ac.uk/vacancy/lect...

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Jenny Pickerill @jennypickerill.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Our new piece out today in Times Higher Education about the threats to Geography in the UK - particularly fieldwork - please do share. It links to a recent snapshot survey on the challenges being faced in UK HE, which highlights the inequities of the challenges, but also fears of what is yet to come

timeshighereducation.com

The UK universities cutting geography have lost their bearings

From climate change to geopolitics, the knowledge, skills and insights of geographers have never been more relevant, say five professors

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

You know what, Miro? I do not need a 2025 recap of my use of your fine platform. No, no thank you.

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

We’ve extended the deadline by a week! More time to send in your abstract for potential inclusion in a special @mediapolis.bsky.social dossier on ‘The Synthetic City’!

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

REMINDER! CfP: The Synthetic City We’re putting together a special issue dossier for @mediapolis.bsky.social on 'urban AI' and seek short essays, provocations, creative-critical reflections on synthetic urbanism. 📅 Abstracts due: Nov 30 🔗 Details: mediacitytwg.wordpress.com/2025/10/16/c...

mediacitytwg.wordpress.com

CFP: ‘The Synthetic City’ Dossier for Mediapolis Journal

The Synthetic City A Dossier for Mediapolis: A Journal of Cities and Culture Guest Editors: Scott Rodgers, Helena Atteneder, Lou Therese Brandner, Marcos Dias, Diogo Pereira Henriques and Sara Tren…

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Birkbeck, University of London is seeking an Associate Lecturer in Digital Video and Editing. Part-time, contractual – perfect for creatives who want to share their skills while continuing their practice. 👉 Details & apply: cis7.bbk.ac.uk/vacancy/asso...

cis7.bbk.ac.uk

Associate Lecturer in Digital Video and Editing (2296) - Birkbeck, University of London

Birkbeck

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

Join us Nov 25 for Engaging Publics in Media, Cities & Space -free online conference on research impact in media and urban studies. Talks on monographs, journals, podcasts, walking tours + networking, incl. a special session for ECRs. 👉 Full programme & register: docs.google.com/document/d/e...

docs.google.com

Engaging Publics in Media, Cities and Space - Online Conference 2025

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 02/11/2025

Two very late nights in a row keeping up with the Jays, and now I’m exhausted

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

Apropos of this Halloween day, Roger Luckhurst - a colleague in Birkbeck’s School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication - discusses how we lay the dead to rest today, drawing on his new book Graveyards: A History of Living with the Dead (Thames and Hudson 2025): youtu.be/ZPuNR9J9LGI?...

youtu.be

Birkbeck Explains: How do we lay the dead to rest today?

YouTube video by Birkbeck, University of London

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ECREA Media, Cities and Space Section @mediacity-ecrea.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

2/ We welcome short essays, provocations, and creative-critical reflections that examine how synthetic urbanism is produced, experienced, and theorized across media, design, and everyday life. #UrbanMedia #SyntheticCity #SyntheticData #Synthesis #Cities #Space #Media #ML #GenAI #AI #Mediapolis

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ECREA Media, Cities and Space Section @mediacity-ecrea.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

1/ CFP Dossier for @mediapolis.bsky.social: The synthetic city as an alternative, multivalent provocation to examine, interpret and forecast the emerging implications of AI and related digital technologies for urban living. 🗓️ Deadline: 30 Nov 2025 🔗 Link: mediacitytwg.wordpress.com/2025/10/16/c...

mediacitytwg.wordpress.com

CFP: ‘The Synthetic City’ Dossier for Mediapolis Journal

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

Today’s the day I take the two-stop Waterloo & City line for the first time. It’s gonna be a good one.

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

Call for Papers: The Synthetic City We’re putting together a special issue dossier for @mediapolis.bsky.social on 'urban AI' and seek short essays, provocations, creative-critical reflections on synthetic urbanism. 📅 Abstracts due: Nov 30 🔗 Details: mediacitytwg.wordpress.com/2025/10/16/c...

mediacitytwg.wordpress.com

CFP: ‘The Synthetic City’ Dossier for Mediapolis Journal

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Some snaps from the @birmac.bsky.social / Media & Democracy / Qualitative Methods Group workshop 'Exploring Quali-Quantitative Approaches in Social Media Research', where me, @robtoes.bsky.social & participants explored methods for approaching the messy, contradictory phenomena that is social media

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

I’d like to see some mainstream journalists put a question like this to Labour ministers. It the logical question to follow.

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

As part of the deal, I’ll stop saying please in my prompts

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

I’ve been increasingly using ChatGPT/copilot for various little things here and there. But you know what I’d like? For it not to be so complementary. I mean, be a bit rude and tell me my prompts are terrible, if they are, please.

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

So sad to hear about the passing of my friend and former colleague Mark Saunders. Some thoughts and memories here: www.publiclysited.com/memories-of-...

publiclysited.com

Memories of Mark Saunders | Publicly Sited

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Liam Shrivastava @liamshrivastava.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

The Amiel & Melburn Annual lecture is happening this Wednesday! A stellar lineup discussing how the Left can resist the Rise of the Radical Right, hosted at Birkbeck. @kojokoram.bsky.social, @irrnews.bsky.social @afoggyplace.bsky.social @bethanyrielly.bsky.social @robtoes.bsky.social

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

With Yu-Shan Tseng, I am co-editing a Special Issue (for Urban Studies, subject to full proposal acceptance) on 'Ordinary Democracy and Digital Cities'. Read the CFP details here: docs.google.com/document/d/e...

docs.google.com

Special Issue CFP: Ordinary Democracy and Digital Cities.docx

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Burcu Baykurt @baykurt.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

New article out in Urban Studies! I examine Google’s urban-tech power from Fiber to Sidewalk Labs and argue that the company is less a cohesive strategist and more a shapeshifter, driven by the speculative ethos of Silicon Valley journals.sagepub.com/eprint/JIJUW...

journals.sagepub.com

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

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Rebekah Tromble @rebekahtromble.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

The worst happened. We were DOGE’d. Our NSF funding is gone. So now there’s nothing stopping me from sharing Expert Voices Together, a crisis response system for US-based researchers and journalists facing harassment. It's a true passion project. 🧵 1/ expertvoicestogether.org

expertvoicestogether.org

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

I'm not 100% sure, but I was just on the phone with a UK bank and it seemed like I was speaking with some kind of automated agent. Either that, or I spoke with a human being who doesn't really seem to listen to what you are saying, and then asks generic questions as it they're a rudimentary chatbot.

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

I wonder if I should actually take that book for safekeeping.

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Rob Kitchin @robkitchin.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

CFP ‘Authoritarianism in the Digital Age’ for SI of @dialoguesdigsoc.bsky.social Seeking commentaries (<2,000 words) that reflect on role of digital tech in building & challenging authoritarian rule. Abstracts May 16. Details: journals.sagepub.com/page/dds/cal...

journals.sagepub.com

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

The regional launch of this major new report is tonight in Leeds!

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Carolyn Pedwell @carolynpedwell.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

✨Very excited to share details of our British Academy-funded one-day symposium at Lancaster University in July: SPECULATIVE MACHINES AND US: HISTORIES AND FUTURES OF AI. ✨💥Featuring @ohalpern.bsky.social @mbfazi.bsky.social @aleenachia.bsky.social and more💥 tinyurl.com/bde6x7ub Please share widely!

wp.lancs.ac.uk

Speculative Machines and Us: Histories and Futures of AI

We warmly invite colleagues to join us for an in-person one-day symposium on Thursday 17th July 2025. To join, please register using the link below. The event is organised by the Centre for Science…

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Scott Rodgers @scott-rodgers.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

Near Copenhagen 20/05/25? Interested in digital placemaking and related research methods? Come to this FREE panel where I join Anders Koed Madsen, Marie Stender, Ate Poorthuis, Andrea Ballatore and Tuuli Toivonen to discuss how digital practices are shaping urban life. www.ssh.aau.dk/mini-confere...

ssh.aau.dk

Mini Conference: Panel on Digital Placemaking and Soft City Sensing

Our sense of place is increasingly shaped by digital platforms and the algorithms that curate our urban experiences. We rely on online ratings to choose restaurants, share events in local Facebook gro...

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Burcu Baykurt @baykurt.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

I had a great time chatting with @scott-rodgers.bsky.social about Google’s expanding presence in cities and my forthcoming book on the politics of test-bed urbanism. Thanks for the thoughtful questions and fun conversation!

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Mediapolis Journal @mediapolis.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

In the latest podcast, @baykurt.bsky.social discusses with @scott-rodgers.bsky.social her longstanding interests in Google as an increasingly influential agent in urban affairs, and her efforts to rethink ‘test-bed urbanism’ through the local. www.mediapolisjournal.com/2025/04/voic...

mediapolisjournal.com

Voices Episode 8: Burcu Baykurt on Google Urbanism

In the latest episode of our Voices podcast series, Burcu Baykurt discusses with Scott Rodgers her longstanding interests in Google as an increasingly influential agent in urban affairs, as well as he...

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