Augmented Cities, Amplified Problems: Zoning the Virtual World

Our beloved ex-CIO’s dive into a Black Mirror version of cities disrupted by augmented and virtual reality with urban technology strategist Greg Lindsay. Greg breaks down his report, "Augmented City: Seeing Through Disruption", offering tools like Threatcasting to help local governments spot threats early and respond effectively. From veiling storefronts with virtual billboards to the chilling idea of AI manipulating what we see and hear in public, this future isn’t far off—it’s a virtual Pokémon knocking at the door.

Augmented City report:  https://urban.tech.cornell.edu/the-augmented-city/

Highlights:

• Can Cities Regulate AI-Driven AR/VR? Local governments already struggle to manage real-world challenges like zoning and signage. What happens when digital layers overlay the physical world, manipulating public spaces and creating legal gray zones? 
• Dark Realities: From scams using AI-generated personas to augmented gentrification and virtual content wars, the risks feel straight out of dystopian fiction—but they’re very real.
• Threatcasting: A strategic foresight method Greg used to develop his Augmented City report, blending storytelling and analysis to predict future scenarios. It identifies warning signs (flags) and actionable steps (gates) for cities to manage risks and harness opportunities as AI-powered AR/VR reshapes public spaces.

Whether it’s city planners getting a handle on virtual positioning systems or harnessing AI AR/VR for impactful civic engagement, this episode is packed with insights into the promises—and perils—of augmented cities.

In the music segment, Mike, Mark, and Greg discuss the evolving role of algorithms in music discovery, the tension between passive and intentional listening, and the dominance of streaming platforms like Spotify in shaping what we hear. Greg shares his seasonal love for deep cuts from Vince Guaraldi’s Charlie Brown Christmas, while Mike and Mark debate the merits of releasing unfinished tracks and the future potential of AI tools to revolutionize how we curate our music experiences.

🎧 Follow our hosts and guests:

Greg Lindsay: https://greglindsay.org/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-lindsay-8b16952/ 

Mike: @sarasti.bsky.social  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarasti/  @rakermusic.bsky.social

Mark:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/markwheelerphl/  https://markaroo.medium.com

#AugmentedReality #UrbanPlanning #GovTech #localgovernment #government #cities #smartcities #zoning #futurist #AR

Thanks to Raker for our musical intro/outros: https://open.spotify.com/track/4JqywsINKEWZucDNYlnBBU?si=da45e2c66825465b 

YouViewNew by WeBureaucrat is  Mark’s latest faux advert.