ABSTRACT
The rise of mobile and wearable technologies suggests that people's interactions with their urban surroundings are increasing mediated, changing the relationship between the body and the city in some fairly significant ways. This chapter explores the now large body of work focusing on the practical negotiation of the city, particularly that focusing on the potential of embodied improvisation and 'performativity' to create a more livable city. It explores how urban studies has grappled with the everyday life of the city, particularly through theories of embodiment, action and 'non-representational theory'. It also discusses what these ideas tell about rights to the city, noting this has been an important rallying cry in urban studies in recent times. The chapter presents a rich seam of work exploring the practical and embodied skills which are woven, almost subconsciously, into the lives of urban citizens.
