green and smart is the idea that public transport and walking is a viable and sustainable mode of transport, that the major impediment is information, and that a combination of information systems design and new information and communication technologies will give us many opportunities to liberate us from our motorcars.
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because it requires information engineering it will also provide demonstrator models for electronic commerce in transport and related industries. |
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because it challenges the accepted simplicity of getting in a motor car it provides opportunities to investigate the ideas of urban design and the relative power of the motorist and walker and thus raises ethical issues about the design of systems. |
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because it uses the simplest of technologies and the cheapest it shows how these design techniques might be appropriate for developing countries while the argument about walking is even more appropriate in those contexts, in a world which thinks motorcars. |
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because it shows the interconnection of design, information and systems in the context of ethics, electronic commerce and developing countries it contributes to the challenge of is |
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because it combines the science of information with the art of less is more it contributes design to creating sparks |
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because it suggests you can do without your car, it will create sparks. |
Who are you?
The creator of 'green and smart' (what you're reading) is John Lindsay, reader in Information Systems Design, Kingston University (UK), where he specialises in strategic information systems, information science and information systems design. He is a well known speaker and academic in the field of information systems, e-commerce, financial systems and public transport, and is currently involved with the task group working on the governmental white paper on e-commerce.
The designer of this website (what you're seeing) is Tim Baker, web designer and fine artist (BA (Hons)). As well as working on high-level corporate websites by day, he has also designed a variety of sites for placcymedia, his own (currently unofficial) company. He is also working on a photo essay of the river thames and estuaries, focusing on industrial architecture and decay.
What is this 'Creating Sparks'?
Creating Sparks was from the 6th September to the 30th September 2000 in various locations in South Kensington, London. 'Green and smart', electronic ethics, the challenge of IS and John Lindsay were all part of The Festival of Science, exhibits and events over a week funded by and run by members of the British Computer Society.