How is 5G technology changing cities? In their dossier introduction, Sanna Lehtinen and Delfina Fantini van Ditmar survey the aesthetic, political, and ecological impacts of 5G networks and call for new critical models for envisioning urban futures. To uncover socio-political issues and explore how the ongoing shift in technology affects the look and lived experiences of cities worldwide, we present perspectives from philosophy, urban aesthetics, design, architecture, and art. This dossier is part of ongoing research, and is intended as a departure point to get people to connect with the discussion about critical, alternative urban visions and a more democratic and multifaceted beginning for envisioning new relations. This requires seeking alternative critical models, a situated approach, new investigations, multidisciplinary and public discussions, a new set of policies, and a material ethics of care.

Introduction for the 5G Dossier for Mediapolis journal. I have edited the volume Dossiers, no. 3, vol. 7 September 26, 2022 with Dr Sanna Lehtinen (Aalto University).