Beyond solutionism: quantum-secured NFTs as contested infrastructures for radical urban futures

【Author】 Dorostkar, Ehsan

【Source】LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

【影响因子】3.590

【Abstract】This Viewpoint article discusses the transformative promise of quantum-secured NFTs in advancing progressive city government, examining their conditional potential as tools of radical redistribution, rather than technical fixes. At the intersection of the cryptographic power of quantum computing and the potential to tokenise collective NFT rights, we propose a framework for decentralised urban commons from housing cooperatives to public space governance forestalling quantum hacking threats and corporate capture. The analysis defies conventional blockchain-based urban policies for entrenching exploitative models, demonstrating how quantum-resistant algorithms, including lattice-based cryptography, can strengthen grassroots movements through fractional ownership models and anti-eviction smart contracts. Barcelona's digital sovereignty pilots and Bogot & aacute;'s blockchain titling offer both promise and peril, requiring thoughtful design to prevent "quantum gentrification." Policy possibilities contingent on overcoming corporate power are set out, from city-wide mandates for energy-clear NFTs to community quantum computing centres to bridge digital divides. Finally, the article repositions the quantum-NFT relationship as a political frontier: these technologies will either reinforce or upend urban injustices depending on who dictates their implementation. By foregrounding Just Sustainabilities principles redistributive justice, participatory design, and ecological resilience we urge urbanists to critically assess emerging technologies as contested space emerging technologies as contested space in the struggle for emancipatory cities. The argument concludes with a summons to weaponize quantum NFTs for liberation, rendering their creation as much an urban planning necessity as it is a technological one.

【Keywords】Quantum-secured NFTs; urban commons; corporate capture; decentralized governance; tech industry power

【发表时间】2025 2025 JUN 14

【收录时间】2025-06-23

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