Background
Amsterdam’s Smart City Agenda emphasises the importance of public values and citizen involvement in the process of digitisation. The agenda aims to create an inclusive smart city with accessible services that consider ethical issues and public values. In line with this vision, the Athena Institute collaborated with stakeholders from research, industry, and government (including the National Police), to incorporate citizens values in innovation. First, we explored different perspectives of citizens and innovators (both from companies as well as from the municipality) concerning digital technologies in urban space, in general. Second, we conducted one specific case study, namely, the future design of a digital perimeter (virtual fence) at the Johan Cruijff ArenA.
Objectives
The objective of the CATALYST project was to bring citizens and professionals into meaningful conversations about digital technologies and their societal impact on Amsterdam citizens and visitors. The Athena Institute, research partners, and citizens co-created playful methods to:
- Help citizens articulate their opinions on digital technologies, for example, of the safety, service, convenience, and/or efficiency of smart waste bins, smart traffic lights, smart lamp posts, smart security cameras, smart billboards, smart crowd control or digital perimeters.
- Engage professionals in incorporating diverse citizen perspectives into the design and functionality of digital innovations.
Approach
The CATALYST method is an innovative approach to engaging citizens. It was developed in collaboration with NEMO KennisLink whose expertise is joyful, accessible and deliberative contact with citizens, TU Delft, involved in experience design, and the VU Athena Institute specialized in citizen-inclusive playful reflection and dialogue on emerging technologies. The multi-step approach described below, was scientifically researched, and designed to stimulate citizens’ and innovators’ reflection and dialogue and embed diverse citizen visions into the digital innovation process.
- Street theater: Through pop-up installations and improvisation acting, citizen perspectives on digital technologies in urban space were explored for the design of the next steps.
- Citizens’ workshops: Within a facilitated game environment, citizens formed their opinion on various smart technology applications (smart waste bins, smart traffic lights, smart lamp posts, smart security cameras, smart billboards, and smart crowd control). This playful environment helped participants transform their intuitive notions into nuanced value-driven perspectives, suitable for (future) dialogue with innovators.
- Innovator interviews: Various innovators, from companies and municipalities were interviewed, in which they were invited to reflect on the digital technologies that they dealt with in their professional environment, either as (co-)developer and/or as buyer and implementer in urban space.
- Dialogue meetings: A selected group of citizens engaged in a dialogue with innovators, using participatory theater. The theater environment enabled participants to gain awareness of other perspectives in relation to their own and fostered mutual learning. Together, citizens and professionals explored how innovations can be made more socially responsible.
- Professionals' workshops: A workshop was conducted with professionals to translate the insights gained from the dialogue into actionable items for the digital (perimeter's) innovation process in the Amsterdam Arena area.
Athena’s role
Athena co-designed and tested the game and theater environments of the CATALYST method and facilitated dialogues among and between citizens and experts.
Lessons and outcomes
The CATALYST project resulted in a game, a video installation and various publications. Over-all, the project provided further insights into the how’s and the value of citizen participation in innovation trajectories.
A popular scientific summary of interviews with professionals can be found here.