2019-09-10

#rpDetroit Speaker Cézanne Charles: Empowering people as decision-makers in shaping technological change

Cézanne Charles has more than 20 years of experience working at the executive and senior management level within the creative industries (nonprofit and for-profit) in both the United States and the United Kingdom. For the past 11 years, Cézanne served as Director of Creative Industries at Creative Many, where she led the design and implementation of the company’s creative industries research. Today, she is the co-founder and director of rootoftwo, a research and practice-driven hybrid design studio that engages in civic future-making.

What message do you want to share at re:publica Detroit?
That people should be empowered as decision-makers in shaping technological change in their communities and in their cities. rootoftwo's works creatively test the materiality and consequences of technology at the city-scale. We will talk about Detroit Square, our forthcoming project to develop a connected 83-acre campus through The Cultural Center Planning Initiative for Midtown Detroit Inc., and about our Whithervane's and RBTS projects. We will introduce our new project "Anyspace? Whatever." that will be a series of mobile and permanent architectural pavilions and installations for interrogating the smart city.

In one word, what does access mean to you?
The access question for me is about "how have we signaled in subtle and overt ways, who belongs – through design, policy, landscape, technology, services, safety, culture, amenities and governance". This signaling can work to be inclusive or it can continue to marginalize and push people to the periphery of society.

What are you looking forward to most at re:publica Detroit?
Cross-geographical and cross-sector exchanges.

Here you can find Cézanne Charles' speaker profile.