Nonanthropocentric design and smart cities in the anthropocene

Abstract

While the smart city agenda is critiqued for its focus on technology and business led solutions, a new approach to design has been introduced: nonanthropocentric design aims to decenter the human as the focus of design. We build on relevant works in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) through discussing and comparing relevant theories in the social sciences and by analyzing design examples. This approach to HCI is necessary if humanity is to meet the challenges of the Anthropocene, the era in which human activity affects the Earth on a geological scale.