From automation to autonomy: Technological sovereignty for better data care in smart cities

Automation through smart city technology deployments and big data analytics has the potential to create more liveable, sustainable, and equitable cities. However, internationally, there are many examples of smart city developments that have attracted criticism, concerns, and community backlash over issues such as data ethics, privacy, mass surveillance, commodification, and social control. In response, this chapter presents DataCare – a model for cities to practically implement technological sovereignty as a way to renew and maintain the social licence to operate smart city technology. Grounded in a critical review of the literature, the chapter argues that data collection and automation in smart cities must be more citizen and community-oriented. Informed by smart city developments in Toronto and Barcelona, the chapter introduces DataCare – a model for a dedicated facility hosted by the city and offered to citizens, communities, and businesses. The envisaged DataCare space can be tailored to raise awareness of data ethics, to run data literacy training seminars, to engage in participatory data analytics, and to speculate about city data futures. DataCare aims to increase data transparency and autonomy, showcase new business opportunities, and empower citizens and community

The IsITethical? Responsible Research and Innovation for Disaster Risk Management

This paper describes the IsITethical? Exchange, a European knowledge and service hub we are developing with and for diverse parties involved in crisis and disaster risk management. Their commitment to European values and fundamental rights underpins the rationale of the initiative, which is to support European societies’ need for high quality innovation to balance the benefits of IT with fundamental human rights and values, especially privacy and data protection. The initiative is led by researchers at Lancaster University and builds on many years of collaborative design research with a wide range of international practitioners, academics, and commercial IT designers.System Engineerin

The IsITethical? Responsible Research and Innovation for Disaster Risk Management

This paper describes the IsITethical? Exchange, a European knowledge and service hub we are developing with and for diverse parties involved in crisis and disaster risk management. Their commitment to European values and fundamental rights underpins the rationale of the initiative, which is to support European societies’ need for high quality innovation to balance the benefits of IT with fundamental human rights and values, especially privacy and data protection. The initiative is led by researchers at Lancaster University and builds on many years of collaborative design research with a wide range of international practitioners, academics, and commercial IT designers

Coproduction and cocreation in smart city initiatives: An exploratory study

Citizens\u2019 participation represents an essential condition for successful smart city initiatives. However, citizens\u2019 participation in public initiatives can take many different forms, from simple consultation to the active involvement in their design, implementation and evaluation. When they are actively involved in public initiatives, a shift can be determined from initiatives designed and implemented FOR the citizens, to initiatives designed and implemented with a substantial contribution FROM the citizens, which is what coproduction in the public sector amounts to. With reference to the result of a survey of the relevant academic literature, this exploratory study considers how the concepts of coproduction (and the related concept of codesign) and cocreation are used in the smart city literature. The study highlights a relatively scarce use and a poor conceptualization of these concepts in the smart city literature and identifies some critical aspects that still need a conceptual clarification

Smart Policing: A Critical Review of the Literature

Smart policing refers to the application of data-driven approaches by police authorities. Although the concept is not new, the vast availability of potentially relevant data sources in policing calls for a critical and consolidated review of the literature. To synthesise the evidence on smart policing, we present a systematic review of 112 articles across all relevant disciplines. Earlier work has concentrated on social media communications or predictive policing while this review identifies several new applications associated with new forms of data and their corresponding roles to policing. We develop a framework to show the connections between smart use of data and police approaches and strategies. We discuss how smart policing can be an area of increased interest in digital government and public management research