BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

It is a commonly heard term in policy documents and the social media posts of city officials: the “smart city”. The messages are optimistic and emphasise the fact that a smart city utilises modern technology and new forms of collaboration to improve urban facilities and the quality of life in the city.

Smart city theories are not immune to criticism, however; mainly because of the use of the loaded term “smart” (who decides that?) and because of the belief that the smart city is mainly supported by officials, scientists and engineers and less so by the residents themselves. This research project seeks to make a critical and positive contribution by putting people first and bringing together the interests of all stakeholders in the smart city.

SMART CITY COLLABORATION PLATFORM

How can we achieve this? We are developing an architecture for a smart-city collaboration platform. It supports the role division between partners in the so-called “quadruple helix” (government-citizens-academics-industry).

The exact nature of this platform – online, offline or a combination of the two – will be decided by the partners together. The goal is for the platform to encourage stakeholders to give substance to their smart city using the latest technological developments and a degree of ownership.

FOCUS

Our focus is on the role that design and the creative industry can play in the realisation of effective collaboration in the quadruple helix. We identify the keys to success and possible obstacles on the road. This responsible design approach – which involves all stakeholders in the dialogue – offers a fresh perspective on the design of smart cities.

Want to collaborate on this project? Contact us here!