Technology has radically changed how and where we work–but this change hasn’t affected everyone equally. 2024/25 Interactivity Foundation Sustained Discussion Fellow Laura May is exploring the impact of these changes on communities, particularly in international cities like Barcelona, where digital nomadism, remote work, and the sharing economy are reshaping everyday life.
“As an immigrant within Barcelona myself,” Laura explains, “I couldn’t help but notice the news articles and online chatter complaining about things like digital nomads. On the one hand they’re discursively linked to the local housing crisis and rising prices, and on the other they’re spoken of very differently to other types of immigrants.”
Laura’s project, Digital Nomadism and Future Belonging, seeks to unravel and understand the tensions and opportunities that arise between locals and more itinerant populations, and to envisage what the future could look like. The project will consider how technology-driven change such as remote work and the sharing economy transform cities, from our sense of belonging to the sheer logistics of policy and governance.
“This is a problem I really wanted to unravel and understand—not just what it is now, but how we could all come together to envisage what the future could look like.”
Looking to the future, Laura’s project poses a range of questions: What if housing were no longer tied to geography? What could cities look like if residents moved fluidly between locations as they worked remotely? Her inquiry also touches on the broader immigration discourse, asking how we can build cities that are equitable and inclusive for all.
“What could a future look like where economic privilege is less of a dividing factor in who benefits from global mobility?”
As a trained facilitator, Laura’s role in the project will be to create a space where others can explore divergent ways of thinking, and imagine potential futures together. “Even though I am the person who has generated this initial project idea, it’s not about me,” she emphasizes. “It’s about what the group comes up with, and what different futures they imagine.”
Ultimately, Laura hopes her project will lead to discussions that inform how we think about the future of cities and belonging in an increasingly mobile and interconnected world.
About the Sustained Discussion Fellowship
The Interactivity Foundation’s Sustained Discussion Fellowship is designed to support independent, exploratory discussion projects that focus on under-examined areas of public concern. The Fellowship, running from September 2024 to June 2025, invites a select group of Visiting Fellows to lead discussions that aim to expand thinking and understanding around emerging issues.
Each project not only produces new insights but also aims to inspire positive social change by encouraging meaningful conversations that might otherwise remain taboo. Fellows therefore help to expand the boundaries of public imagination, while creating publicly-available tools and plans that can support discussions elsewhere.
Make sure you connect with us on social media for insights and reflections throughout the Fellowship, and learn more about the work of our Fellows here.
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