A City Eating Itself (in less than 10 minutes)

With the rise of the platform economy we notice a fundamental shift – from the city as a place of cultural and material production to a place of pure consumption. A City Eating Itself (in less than 10 minutes) is a deep dive into flash delivery apps and quick commerce. We see the need for a critical view and more open debate to reflect on the influence of these technologies on the diversity and liveliness of neighbourhoods, city architecture and urban planning.
A City Eating Itself speculates on future urban scenarios through location-based immersive storytelling, world-building workshops and a publication. Our goal is to engage city officials, consumers, technology entrepreneurs and professionals in urban planning to spark a conversation about the future of ‘the consumption’ city.

Book

In December 2023 we published A City Eating Itself (in less than 10 minutes). The publication documents our research findings and methodologies, from historical research to speculative world-building. There is a very limited print run. Via the button below you can order the book.

Audio walk

Combining speculative fiction and months of  in-depth research with local residents, dark store workers and policy makers, the audio walk invites you to critically explore the future of on-demand delivery in Amsterdam.  

Dates
April-July 2023

Pre-study publication

Sensory Field Notes: The Diary of a Dark Store Worker

This autobiographical series contains fascinating and terrifying field notes written by an anonymous member of the affect lab family (known only as DSW) who has also been working a side hustle as a flash delivery picker and rider. Flink, Gorillas, Getir and Zapp. These are a few of the big names in flash delivery services in Amsterdam. 

DSW gives us a first-hand account, drawn from hundreds of hours of work. Packing sugary snacks in brown bags, hauling heavy crates of beers out of the basement and riding them in under 10 minutes to customers in the driving rain. These are just some examples of the visceral labour demanded of her as a Quick Commerce Body. 

DSW’s sensory field notes form part of a larger research track that affect lab is currently developing in the field of Sensory Urbanism. Our belief is that what we hear, taste, smell and feel in our close environment shapes our sense of place and emotional connection to the city.