Abstract

This paper carries out an extensive review of Mitchell’s (1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005) thesis on e-topia and finds it wanting. It highlights the tendency Mitchell has to side-step questions that are raised about the ecology and equity of sustainable urban development (SUD) and the use of ICTs which form the content of the thesis. The paper suggests the problem lies with the methodological gap the work leaves between the vision of e-topia and substantive insight the thesis offers into the ‘post-human’ ecology and equity of SUD. While problematic in itself, the paper suggests that if the difficulties experienced with this gap between vision and insight were only methodological they may perhaps be manageable, but the problem is they run much deeper than this and relate to more substantive issues which currently surround the post-human nature of SUD, the use of ICTs as the embedded intelligence of the cyborg-self and agency of the digitally-inclusive regeneration platforms e-topia rests on.