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We like being around people.
我们喜欢待在人群之中。
We are social animals.
我们是群居动物。
Instead, countries where urbanization
然而，那些城镇化已经达到峰值的国家
has already peaked seem to be the very countries
似乎也正是那些城市
in which cities have stopped making us happy.
不再使人们快乐的国家。
The United States population has suffered
美国人
from a general decrease in happiness
在过去三十年总体幸福度
for the past three decades,
是在下降的，
and the main reason is this.
主要原因就在此。
The American way of building cities
美国人建设城市的方式
has caused good quality public spaces
导致许多高质量的公共空间
to virtually disappear in many,
在许多美国城市几乎
many American cities,
消失殆尽，
and as a result, they have seen
结果，我们看到的是
a decline of relations,
人际关系的衰退
of the things that make us happy.
以及那些使我们快乐的东西的衰退。
Many studies show an increase
很多研究都表明
in solitude and a decrease in solidarity,
有越来越多的孤独，
honesty, and social and civic participation.
而团结、诚信，社会与公民参与却越来越少。
So how do we start building cities
我们要如何开始建造
that make us care?
我们自己在乎的城市？
Cities that value their most important asset:
这个城市重视其最重要的资产：
the incredible diversity
即居住在其中的人们所呈现的
of the people who live in them?
惊人的多样性。
Cities that make us happy?
我们要如何建造能使我们快乐的城市？
Well, I believe that if we want to change
我认为如果我们想要改变
what our cities look like,
我们城市的现状，
then we really have to change
那么我们必须得去改变
the decision-making processes
那些让我们之所以有现在这样的
that have given us the results that we have right now.
城市的决策程序。
We need a participation revolution,
我们需要一个参与革命，
and we need it fast.
并且越快越好。
The idea of voting as our only exercise in citizenship
那种把投票作为我们唯一的履行公民权的想法
does not make sense anymore.
已经不再有意义了。
People are tired of only being treated
人们已经厌倦了仅仅是
as empowered individuals every few years
在每隔几年需要将权力
when it's time to delegate that power
授予某人时
to someone else.
才被当作有能力的个体对待。
If the protests that swept Brazil
如果说2013年6月横扫整个巴西的游行示威
in June 2013 have taught us anything,
告诉了我们什么的话，
it's that every time we try
那就是每一次当我们尝试着
to exercise our power
在选举以外行使
outside of an electoral context,
我们的权力时，
we are beaten up, humiliated or arrested.
我们只会挨打、受辱或被捕。
And this needs to change,
这种情况需要改变，
because when it does,
因为改变之后，
not only will people re-engage
人们不仅会重新参与到
with the structures of representation,
代表结构中来，
but also complement these structures
而且还可以用
with direct, effective, and collective decision making,
直接、高效和集体的决策来补充这些结构，
decision making of the kind
那种通过它本身包容的本质，
that attacks inequality
来攻击
by its very inclusive nature,
不平等的决策
decision making of the kind
那种可以使我们的城市
that can change our cities
变得
into better places for us to live.
更宜居的决策。
But there is a catch, obviously:
但很明显，问题没那么简单。
Enabling widespread participation
促成广泛的民众参与
and redistributing power
和权力再分配
can be a logistical nightmare,
实际操作起来会是一个噩梦，
and there's where technology can play
而这也是科技能够充当
an incredibly helpful role,
一个非常有用的角色的地方——
by making it easier for people to organize,
它可以使人们更容易地组织、
communicate and make decisions
交流和决策，
without having to be in the same room
而且大家不必在
at the same time.
同一时间出现在同一地方。
Unfortunately for us,
对我们来说不幸的是，
when it comes to fostering democratic processes,
在促进民主的过程中，
our city governments have not used technology
我们的政府并没有让科技
to its full potential.
发挥它的全部潜能。
So far, most city governments have been effective
目前为止，大部分的市政府
at using tech to turn citizens into human sensors
在使用科技将公民变成人体传感器方面非常有效，
who serve authorities with data on the city:
公民给当局报告一些城市数据：
potholes, fallen trees or broken lamps.
比如哪里出现了坑洼、哪里的树倒了或者哪里的灯坏了等等。
They have also, to a lesser extent,
这些城市政府还会在小范围内
invited people to participate in improving
邀请民众参与到改善
the outcome of decisions
决策结果的活动中来，
that were already made for them,
事实上这些决策是早已为这些民众做好了的，
just like my mom when I was eight
这情形就跟在我八岁的时候
and she told me that I had a choice:
妈妈告诉我可以自己做选择一样：
I had to be in bed by 8 p.m.,
我必须得在晚上八点钟前上床，
but I could choose my pink pajamas or my blue pajamas.
但是我可以选择穿粉红色或者蓝色的睡衣。
That's not participation,
那不是参与，
and in fact, governments have not been very good
事实上，政府还不善于
at using technology to enable participation
使用科技让民众参与到
on what matters-
那些重要的事情中来——
the way we allocate our budget,
比如我们分配预算的方式，
the way we occupy our land,
我们使用土地的方式，
and the way we manage our natural resources.
以及我们管理我们的自然资源的方式。
Those are the kinds of decisions
这些都是
that can actually impact global problems
能够真正影响那些
that manifest themselves in our cities.
在我们的城市出现的全球问题的决策。
The good news is,
好消息是，
and I do have good news to share with you,
我真的有一个好消息要分享给你们，
we don't need to wait for governments to do this.
那就是我们不需要等到政府去做这些。
I have reason to believe
我有理由相信
that it's possible for citizens to build
公民可以构建
their own structures of participation.
属于他们自己的参与结构。
Three years ago, I cofounded an organization
3年前，我跟别人一起成立了一个组织，
called Meu Rio,
叫做“我的里约”，
and we make it easier for people in the city of Rio
我们使里约的居民能够更容易地
to organize around causes and places
围绕他们所在城市里的那些他们关心的
that they care about in their own city,
事件和地点去组织活动，
and have an impact on those causes and places
并且每天对这些事件
every day.
和地点产生影响。
