Human Values for Smarter Cities

Cause

More and more local authorities are using smart technology to make cities more liveable, safer and more efficient. Examples include cameras, sensors and AI systems that assist with traffic management, the maintenance of public spaces and safety.

At the same time, the use of these technologies raises important questions. How are public values such as privacy, transparency and fairness taken into account in the design? How can residents understand what a system does, influence its development and provide feedback when necessary?

Although public authorities and designers recognise the importance of this, in practice it proves difficult to translate abstract values into concrete choices when designing, procuring and implementing technology in the city.

Goal

Human Values for Smarter Cities is developing a design approach that enables local authorities, designers, developers and residents to work together on responsible urban technology. The project focuses on translating public values into practical design methods and forms of participation, so that residents can play a meaningful role in the development and application of AI and other smart city technologies.

Approach

The project combines practice-led research, design and co-creation. Together with local authorities, researchers, designers, businesses and residents, new methods are being developed and tested for designing technology in public spaces.

A key outcome of the project is the Co-Creation Cycle for the Smart City. This method views the development of urban technology not as a one-off project, but as a continuous process of defining, creating and evaluating. At each stage, consideration is given to how residents can be involved and how public values can be continually reassessed.

The cycle builds on different levels of participation, ranging from informing and consulting to collaborating and providing scope for citizens’ initiatives. Central to this is the principle that participation is a two-way process: not only must the local authority provide scope for engagement, but residents must also have both the opportunity and the motivation to actually get involved.

In addition to the Co-Creation Cycle, the project developed a handbook containing practical methods, examples and design principles to support local authorities in applying participation and public values in smart city projects.

Results

One of the project’s key outcomes is the publication Residents in the Loop: Joint Decision-Making on AI in the City. This handbook describes the Co-Creation Cycle for the Smart City and offers local authorities, designers and policymakers practical guidance on how to systematically involve residents in the development of AI and other smart technologies.

In addition, the project provides new design principles, participation methods and practical examples that help to better translate public values such as privacy, transparency and fairness into the day-to-day practice of urban technology. The knowledge gained supports local authorities in designing, implementing and evaluating smart applications in which residents can actively contribute ideas and take part in decision-making.

Publication

Bewoners-in-the-loop: samen beslissen over AI in de stad (Residents in the Loop: Joint Decision-Making on AI in the City)

This publication documents the key findings from the research project and demonstrates how local authorities can involve residents in the development and implementation of AI in public spaces. The handbook sets out the Co-Creation Cycle for the Smart City, design principles, participation methods and practical examples that can be applied directly in practice.