Usman Haque – the director of Haque Design + Research, founder of Pachube.com and CEO of Connected Environments - closed the first half of TEDxLeeds2010 with Smart People, Dumb Objects, a discussion of where the infrastructure of cities may become instrumented as an “internet of things”.
Susan Williamson is a retail architect and social scientist who started her UK career 25 years ago during the shopping centre boom. She found her interest increasingly turned to the rationale – both cultural and economic – behind transactional spaces.
Susan’s TEDxLeeds talk focussed on the stories behind such transactional spaces and the expert users of those spaces: the shoppers, workers, walkers, talkers , the performers and those who simply lurk.
Julian Tait is the Open Data Cities and Social Sensor Networks Lead at FutureEverything.
Originally trained as a photographer, he became more involved with digital arts and how technology could enhance our everyday experience. He is a serial project initiator and community activist who is passionate about how technology is used wisely, has the potential to create a more equitable society.
His TEDxLeeds talk explores he impact of open data on the future of cities, nations and government…
We’re never quite sure how our guests will respond to TED’s simulcasts. Hosting TEDxChange in Leeds back in September was a strange experience – great content, but without live speakers here in Leeds, a somewhat detached experience.
Though we only had a handful of people join us yesterday evening for the opening session of the inaugural TEDWomen conference, the more intimate round-table setting, tasty locally baked pizza and some great conversation meant we enjoyed a fun few hours.
Session 1 included a provocative interview with Ted Turner and great discussions from Hanna Rosin and Halla Tomasdottir as well as some witty cartoons from Liza Donnelly. However, what was surprising was the conversation around the table – what was happening in Washington DC was simply background to a lively discussion that ranged from feminism in Frank Herbert’s Dune and Y: The Last Man, equality in paternity and maternity leave and whether Ted Turner’s view that restricting politics to women would end war -he’s clearly never come across the works of Condoleeza Rice, Margaret Thatcher or Indira Gandhi!
Thanks to Linda Broughton, Emma Cheshire, Talia Hussein, Lorna Mitchell, Tim Medcalf and Robert Burrell-Donkin for making it a great evening :)
We’re really looking forward to hosting an open house for Sessions 3-6, from 1230 to 9pm today. Do feel free to drop in and join us!
We’re very excited to be hosting the 2010 edition of TEDxLeeds at newly constructed The Mint.
Located at the boundaries between the city’s Holbeck Urban Village, the city centre and older communities in South Leeds, the upper floors of The Mint provide some interesting views of Leeds past and present skylines.
The map below illustrates the area around the Mint for those unfamiliar with this part of Leeds. We’ve also prepared a Google Map of the walking route from the city’s train station to The Mint.