Ben Platt
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benaplatt.bsky.social
Ben Platt
@benaplatt.bsky.social
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Teaching Associate in Urban Geography, University of Cambridge
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Reposted by Ben Platt
admsrl.bsky.social
my phone just reminded me of this: six years ago today, with the May68-inspired banner I sewed (very poorly I might add) on strike in Cambridge with @benaplatt.bsky.social

higher education is in a far worse place now: la lutte continue !!
December 4, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Reposted by Ben Platt
camunigeography.bsky.social
Excellent collaboration! Thrilled to see the new paper on urban metabolism from colleague @benaplatt.bsky.social and PhD student @zuhrijames.bsky.social now published in
@ijurresearch.bsky.social!
October 30, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Reposted by Ben Platt
dinok.bsky.social
We are pleased to welcome at @sarah-mills.bsky.social to @camunigeography.bsky.social next week! During her visit, she will be giving an exciting talk on the gamification of citizenship on Monday at 5 PM in the Small Lecture Theatre. All welcome, we'd love to see you there!
Poster for talk, with an image from an art installation of three TVs with cartoon seagulls on them. The text reads: The Gamificaiton of Citizenship, Prof Sarah Mills (Loughborough University), Mon 20 October at 5pm, Small Lecture Theatre, University of Cambridge Screenshot, text reads: The Gamification of Citizenship. Time: 5pm. Venue: Small Lecture Theatre, Department of Geography, Cambridge. Speaker: Prof Sarah Mills (Loughborough). 'Good citizenship' has become a game to play, with real prizes to be won. This talk focuses on the 'gamification of citizenship' through a discussion of digital rewards, participation and volunteering. In recent years, a proliferation of mobile apps have incentivised behaviour change in various contexts such as health and sustainability. I argue that the growth of 'gamification' (using elements of game design in non-gaming contexts) in these popular mobile apps has wider implications for debates on citizenship and raises important questions about the use of gambling style techniques within apps for 'social good'. The seminar then charts some of the latest trends in the US and the UK related to citizenship, volunteering and 'character', reflecting on wider geographies of immigration and the contested politics of volunteering as good behaviour'. Contact for questions/ queries: Dino Kadich, (dk566), Department of Geography.
October 15, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Reposted by Ben Platt
zuhrijames.bsky.social
New paper out in @ijurresearch.bsky.social with @benaplatt.bsky.social onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
THE AESTHETICS OF URBAN METABOLISM: Landscape, Design and the Politics of In/Visibility
In this article, we chart the evolving aesthetic contours of urban metabolism across London, focusing on the River Lea and Thamesmead to the north and south of the River Thames, respectively. We begi...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 15, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Reposted by Ben Platt
jonnyjjt.bsky.social
Very excited to be co-organising this with the Digital Ecologies crew, @profgillian.bsky.social, @benaplatt.bsky.social, and Janina Schupp at the Digital Hub at @jesusoxford.bsky.social.

More info here: digicologies.com/cfp
CFP — Digital Ecologies
cargo.site
digicologies.com
October 7, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Reposted by Ben Platt
jonnyjjt.bsky.social
🌅 How are digital technologies refashioning ecological aesthetics? 🌅

Join us for the next Digital Ecologies conference in February 2026 - CFP now open!

We're delighted to welcome Joanna Zylinska and Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg as our keynotes!

Any questions, get in touch.
digicologies.bsky.social Digital Ecologies @digicologies.bsky.social · Oct 6
🌐🚨 CALL FOR PAPERS 🚨🌐

'The Visual Politics of Digital Ecologies'

🗓️ 2-3 February 2026
📍 @oxfordgeography.bsky.social

We invite one-word titles (e.g. hallucinating, zooming, obscuring, glitching, generating)

Deadline: 14th November

Full info: digicologies.com/cfp
October 7, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Reposted by Ben Platt
digicologies.bsky.social
🌐🚨 CALL FOR PAPERS 🚨🌐

'The Visual Politics of Digital Ecologies'

🗓️ 2-3 February 2026
📍 @oxfordgeography.bsky.social

We invite one-word titles (e.g. hallucinating, zooming, obscuring, glitching, generating)

Deadline: 14th November

Full info: digicologies.com/cfp
October 6, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Reposted by Ben Platt
technatures.bsky.social
Last week members of TechLife visited the ‘More-than-human’ exhibition at the Design Museum @designmuseum.bsky.social in London... A big thanks to the team of curators at the Museum for hosting us and partaking in a fascinating discussion!
July 21, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Reposted by Ben Platt
inpettersen.bsky.social
What does the more-than-human city look like?
Our Nature of Cities @tnoc.bsky.social Global Roundtable is out: www.thenatureofcities.com/2025/02/12/w...
- with Ferne Edwards, Lucia Alexandra Popartan, @cqualmann.bsky.social, @idilgaziulusoy.bsky.social, @butterflyup.bsky.social, and many others
What does the more-than-human city look like? – The Nature of Cities
www.thenatureofcities.com
February 13, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Reposted by Ben Platt
technatures.bsky.social
For this week's seminar, we're joined by Dr @benaplatt.bsky.social who will present his work on #landscape #urbanism and 'the duplicity of landscape revisited'.

Join us in the Desert room at @oxfordgeography.bsky.social or online on Thursday 23rd January at 4pm. All welcome!
January 20, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Reposted by Ben Platt
marktewdwr-jones.bsky.social
Mayor of London @london.gov.uk announces a new review of the green belt around London www.onlondon.co.uk/sadiq-khan-a...
Sadiq Khan announces review of London Green Belt as he restates 'brownfield first' stance - OnLondon
Sir Sadiq Khan has announced a full-scale review of the capital’s Green Belt in response to what he said were concerns about “an impression being given that it’s a ‘wild west’ when it comes to green b...
www.onlondon.co.uk
January 16, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Reposted by Ben Platt
digicologies.bsky.social
🌍 Our book - 'Digital ecologies: Mediating more-than-human worlds' - will be published in December with @manchesterup.bsky.social!

🍃 Editors: @jonnyjjt.bsky.social, @admsrl.bsky.social, Henry Anderson-Elliott & @evahaifa.bsky.social

🫂 Pre-order now: manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526188601/
Manchester University Press - Digital ecologies
Digital ecologies - Browse and buy the Paperback edition of Digital ecologies by Jonathon Turnbull
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk
November 13, 2024 at 12:50 PM
Reposted by Ben Platt
rachelsalvidge.bsky.social
Defra popping out a bathing water reform consultation the day before a very critical OEP report on bathing waters is due. BIG OMISSION in that there are no plans to monitor any new substances/bacteria. Have your say, as they say.
www.gov.uk/government/n...
Bathing water reforms to consider water sports and water quality
Defra invites the public, community and environmental groups, farmers, businesses and local authorities to share views on modernising bathing water regulations.
www.gov.uk
November 12, 2024 at 9:41 AM