OBSERVATIONS ON GLOBAL URBAN MILLENNIALS' SOCIAL AND CIVIC INTERACTIONS MEDIATED BY NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Researchers and city visionaries have focused a lot of attention on the smart city of the future. In this paper, we propose a qualitative research methodology that grounds the proposed future city in the actual experiences and expectations of these cities' most rapidly growing population group: Millennials, or those currently between the ages of 18 and 35. Based on our findings, we describe several key trends in Millennials' urban behavior, and link these trends to developments in urban infrastructure and connectedness. Finally, we use these trends as the basis for a proposed Networked city, a city characterized by open information, linked digital and physical infrastructure, and a focus on sociability and interaction.