Interesting article in Fast Company about Living PlanIT, the technology company trying to create an "urban operating system" and building a city in Portugal to try it out.
They're doing some very interesting stuff - and a lot of the same things we're looking at in India. Their approach to the construction industry is particularly interesting, and potentially transformative. I also agree with Eccles' analysis towards the end that architects and urban planners are missing the boat by not engaging with the business and technology community.
However, as interesting as their ideas are, I think the city as operating system idea goes too far when you start thinking that the technology platform is the raison d'être of the city. People come together in urban agglomerations as a part of much larger and much more fundamental social and economic transformations. There are only a few places in the world today with the sort of growth and change going on to feasibly talk about building new cities -- China, India, a few places in Africa... the list is pretty short and it doesn't include western Europe.
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