The Belarusian writer and researcher speaks about the essence of public space and the dangers that threaten it in a society that moves to the rhythm of new technologies.

Evgeny Morozov, a Belarusian essayist who is well known for his research on the political and social effects of the new technologies was interviewed for Shared Spaces. He was visiting the Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona (CCCB) to give a the lecture "Democracy, Technology and City" in the “Open City” programme and used the occasion to speak about public space as well. In Morozov’s view, public space is important because it is the “space in which politics happens”, and a place that, in present circumstances, “constrains our ability to imagine a different future”. In this regard, and referring to his lecture on smart cities, Morozov warned that if the activities occurring in public space are regulated by technology, people who do not have access to these devices will be excluded and, accordingly, public space will no longer be truly public. Thinking about the future, he also noted that there is “more and more technology like this which will incorporate norms and regulate how we behave but people will no longer be able to revise that” for themselves.