Speaker: Prof. Ash Amin (Cambridge University)

Brief Introduction of the Speaker，

Ash Amin is Professor of Geography at Cambridge University. He is known for his work on cities, race and multiculture, the social economy, and progressive politics. His most recent books include Land of Strangers (2012, Polity) and Arts of the Political (with Nigel Thrift, 2013, Duke). His new book with Nigel Thrift on cities as machines will be published by Polity in 2016.

Brief Introduction of the Lecture，

With the dangers of risk society escalating by the day, cities find themselves especially vulnerable to the challenges of climate change, economic instability, ontological complexity, and social fracture. They face and suffer devastation, but also survive.This lecture considers the usefulness of seeing cities through the lens of 'failure': what comes into view, what can be learned, and how 'smartness' is redefined.