Introduction to Embedded Systems

2013 marked the Centennial of the Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning, Berkeley (http://ced.berkeley.edu/academics/landscape-architecture-environmental-planning/about-us/the-next-100-years/). The Department took the opportunity to not only look back on the last 100 years but also to look towards its future with a series of events. One such event was the Adaptive Metropolis conference from September 27-29, 2013 (http://laep.ced.berkeley.edu/adaptivemetropolis/site/the-event/speakers/). The Symposium examined at the power of emergent collaborative networks to reaffirm the ""right to the city."" They employ a series of disparate tactics, compensating for the shortage of economic resources with a large dose of creativity. They favor short-term small-scale interventions that involve experimentation, formative assessment, and iteration, crowdsourcing ideas and funding, opensourcing processes and results, and directly engaging the community throughout implementation. While these practices have already largely garnered the attention of the web and the press, the symposium allowed for a substantive assessment of their real impact on the built environment and their potential for the next era of urban development. Keynote Speech: Gil Penalosa Executive Director of 8-80 cities; Former Commissioner of Parks, Sport, and Recreation, Bogota, Colombia An international leader in creating great cities and communities through active public spaces, Gil Penalosa is passionate about realizing the potential of great places to foster healthier communities with happier residents. Following years of private and public sector senior managerial experience, the Mayor of Bogota, Colombia (pop. 7 m), appointed him Commissioner of Parks, Sport and Recreation for the City Gil led his team to create one of the most successful and renowned parks and recreation systems in the world.