Open online platforms and the collaborative production of micro urban spaces: Towards an architecture of civic engagement

Drawing on the ideas of participatory urbanism, this chapter argues for the potential of social media data to enable more interactive and responsive planning and collaboration between citizens, experts, and public officials. Focusing on a data-driven approach to collaborative planning, the chapter highlights the advantage of multiplicity and diversity of participants in non-linear processes of collaboration through online platforms. Presenting a case study of online engagement with the development of “parklets”, this chapter illustrates how social media data analytics can be utilised to better understand the dynamics of open and complex collaboration in the context of urban planning and governance. These insights offer enabling strategies for city officials to become involved in and contribute to civic conversations and actions of individual citizens and local communities

From repositories to switchboards: Local governments as open data facilitators

As the hype around the Open Data movement fades, the need emerges for the conceptualisation and realisation of more sustainable, equitable and accessible Open Data practices. In this chapter, we share insights from a Code for Australia fellowship conducted in South-East Queensland, Australia. Our contributions are threefold: first, we show how an exploratory and participatory approach to internal local council technology projects can serve to identify Open Data use-cases through the early involvement of local community stakeholders; second, we propose a novel role of the custodianship and facilitation of Open Data exchange and alternate composition for local governments; and third, we articulate the need and concept for co-creative practices across smart city business units, local government IT departments and civil society in particular to successfully deliver Open Data.</p