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We like being around people.
我們喜歡待在人群之中。
We are social animals.
我們是群居動物。
Instead, countries where urbanization
然而，那些城鎮(zhèn)化已經(jīng)達到峰值的國家
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.
不再使人們快樂的國家。
The United States population has suffered
美國人
from a general decrease in happiness
在過去三十年總體幸福度
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
美國人建設城市的方式
has caused good quality public spaces
導致許多高質量的公共空間
to virtually disappear in many,
在許多美國城市幾乎
many American cities,
消失殆盡，
and as a result, they have seen
結果，我們看到的是
a decline of relations,
人際關系的衰退
of the things that make us happy.
以及那些使我們快樂的東西的衰退。
Many studies show an increase
很多研究都表明
in solitude and a decrease in solidarity,
有越來越多的孤獨，
honesty, and social and civic participation.
而團結、誠信，社會與公民參與卻越來越少。
So how do we start building cities
我們要如何開始建造
that make us care?
我們自己在乎的城市？
Cities that value their most important asset:
這個城市重視其最重要的資產(chǎn)：
the incredible diversity
即居住在其中的人們所呈現(xiàn)的
of the people who live in them?
驚人的多樣性。
Cities that make us happy?
我們要如何建造能使我們快樂的城市？
Well, I believe that if we want to change
我認為如果我們想要改變
what our cities look like,
我們城市的現(xiàn)狀，
then we really have to change
那么我們必須得去改變
the decision-making processes
那些讓我們之所以有現(xiàn)在這樣的
that have given us the results that we have right now.
城市的決策程序。
We need a participation revolution,
我們需要一個參與革命，
and we need it fast.
并且越快越好。
The idea of voting as our only exercise in citizenship
那種把投票作為我們唯一的履行公民權的想法
does not make sense anymore.
已經(jīng)不再有意義了。
People are tired of only being treated
人們已經(jīng)厭倦了僅僅是
as empowered individuals every few years
在每隔幾年需要將權力
when it's time to delegate that power
授予某人時
to someone else.
才被當作有能力的個體對待。
If the protests that swept Brazil
如果說2013年6月橫掃整個巴西的游行示威
in June 2013 have taught us anything,
告訴了我們什么的話，
it's that every time we try
那就是每一次當我們嘗試著
to exercise our power
在選舉以外行使
outside of an electoral context,
我們的權力時，
we are beaten up, humiliated or arrested.
我們只會挨打、受辱或被捕。
And this needs to change,
這種情況需要改變，
because when it does,
因為改變之后，
not only will people re-engage
人們不僅會重新參與到
with the structures of representation,
代表結構中來，
but also complement these structures
而且還可以用
with direct, effective, and collective decision making,
直接、高效和集體的決策來補充這些結構，
decision making of the kind
那種通過它本身包容的本質，
that attacks inequality
來攻擊
by its very inclusive nature,
不平等的決策
decision making of the kind
那種可以使我們的城市
that can change our cities
變得
into better places for us to live.
更宜居的決策。
But there is a catch, obviously:
但很明顯，問題沒那么簡單。
Enabling widespread participation
促成廣泛的民眾參與
and redistributing power
和權力再分配
can be a logistical nightmare,
實際操作起來會是一個噩夢，
and there's where technology can play
而這也是科技能夠充當
an incredibly helpful role,
一個非常有用的角色的地方——
by making it easier for people to organize,
它可以使人們更容易地組織、
communicate and make decisions
交流和決策，
without having to be in the same room
而且大家不必在
at the same time.
同一時間出現(xiàn)在同一地方。
Unfortunately for us,
對我們來說不幸的是，
when it comes to fostering democratic processes,
在促進民主的過程中，
our city governments have not used technology
我們的政府并沒有讓科技
to its full potential.
發(fā)揮它的全部潛能。
So far, most city governments have been effective
目前為止，大部分的市政府
at using tech to turn citizens into human sensors
在使用科技將公民變成人體傳感器方面非常有效，
who serve authorities with data on the city:
公民給當局報告一些城市數(shù)據(jù)：
potholes, fallen trees or broken lamps.
比如哪里出現(xiàn)了坑洼、哪里的樹倒了或者哪里的燈壞了等等。
They have also, to a lesser extent,
這些城市政府還會在小范圍內
invited people to participate in improving
邀請民眾參與到改善
the outcome of decisions
決策結果的活動中來，
that were already made for them,
事實上這些決策是早已為這些民眾做好了的，
just like my mom when I was eight
這情形就跟在我八歲的時候
and she told me that I had a choice:
媽媽告訴我可以自己做選擇一樣：
I had to be in bed by 8 p.m.,
我必須得在晚上八點鐘前上床，
but I could choose my pink pajamas or my blue pajamas.
但是我可以選擇穿粉紅色或者藍色的睡衣。
That's not participation,
那不是參與，
and in fact, governments have not been very good
事實上，政府還不善于
at using technology to enable participation
使用科技讓民眾參與到
on what matters-
那些重要的事情中來——
the way we allocate our budget,
比如我們分配預算的方式，
the way we occupy our land,
我們使用土地的方式，
and the way we manage our natural resources.
以及我們管理我們的自然資源的方式。
Those are the kinds of decisions
這些都是
that can actually impact global problems
能夠真正影響那些
that manifest themselves in our cities.
在我們的城市出現(xiàn)的全球問題的決策。
The good news is,
好消息是，
and I do have good news to share with you,
我真的有一個好消息要分享給你們，
we don't need to wait for governments to do this.
那就是我們不需要等到政府去做這些。
I have reason to believe
我有理由相信
that it's possible for citizens to build
公民可以構建
their own structures of participation.
屬于他們自己的參與結構。
Three years ago, I cofounded an organization
3年前，我跟別人一起成立了一個組織，
called Meu Rio,
叫做“我的里約”，
and we make it easier for people in the city of Rio
我們使里約的居民能夠更容易地
to organize around causes and places
圍繞他們所在城市里的那些他們關心的
that they care about in their own city,
事件和地點去組織活動，
and have an impact on those causes and places
并且每天對這些事件
every day.
和地點產(chǎn)生影響。
