Designing for Controversies in Responsible Smart Cities

Often, smart city initiatives assume that technology is universally beneficial. Yet, in practice, smart technology can empower or disempower, exclude or include stakeholders. Tensions occur because the impacts of technology on the city are not univocal: different people frame them differently. Acknowledging, debating, and acting upon controversies may help to shape responsible smart city futures.  In our research project, we develop and test methods to develop a collaboration platform for responsible smart cities to foster collaboration among citizens, governments, the private sector and research institutes.   

The project is a collaboration between University of Twente and Utrecht University and a consortium including the following partners: Municipality of Amersfoort, Marxman Advocaten, AeroVision, Design Innovation Group and Future City Foundation. [urban interfaces] Members central in this project are Michiel de Lange (co-PI) and Corelia Baibarac-Duignan (postdoctoral researcher). 

More: https://responsiblecities.nl/