Research projects QROWD and SCIFI produce new publication: Citizen-Centric Services for Smarter Cities

Insights into WAIS projects QROWD and SCIFI have been brought together in a new publication on citizen-centric development of smart city services, designed to assist cities in their smart city journeys.

In many cases, the domination of smart city rhetoric and practice by complex technology has effectively disintermediated the citizen from a close relationship with public services. The authors of the report argue we are seeing  increasing recognition of data as the prime mover of smart cities, and the role of the citizen as both subject and object of data, has moved the focus back to this relationship. Engaging with and empowering citizens increases their motivation both to contribute data and to participate in smart services, which should reward cities who enable this.

The framework presented in the publication for citizen-centred development of smart city services outlines a new, data-oriented co-production journey and offers suggestions for practical implementation through case studies, many of which the authors have been involved in. 

Horizon 2020 project QROWD engages citizens with AI to solve transport challenges, and Interreg 2Seas project SCIFI connects cities with startups to solve challenges with data.

For more detail on either of these projects contact Professor Simperl on e.simperl@soton.ac.uk.