On the Issue of ”Smart Cities” and ”Citizen Science”

Abstract

This article examines approaches to the creation of “smart cities” and the characteristics of the development of ”citizen science”. The concept of a ”smart community” was first formulated as early as 1993 and was presented in the “Guide to Creating ”Smart” Communities …” by San Diego State University in 1997. This approach formed the basis of the European vision of the “smart city” and was described in 2007 by the Centre for Regional Science at the Vienna University of Technology. Thus, the concepts of “smart cities“ and “citizen science“ have been actively discussed for over 30 years. Market players and public institutions viewed “smart cities“ as a common topic for discussion and a new area for cooperation. City administrators announced “smart city“ strategies or projects to raise the city’s profile, attract investment and attract high-tech businesses, whilst companies were tasked with solving local problems in urban services. As a result, the solutions tested were isolated, and the experience of digitalizing one municipal service proved difficult to transfer to others. The development and widespread adoption of information and communication technologies have led to the emergence of new forms of citizens’ digital participation in socio-political processes and to a broadening of the range of people involved in these processes. A modern “smart city“ consists of a set of isolated, vertical solutions. Integrating these solutions on the basis of unified digital platforms is a pressing and complex challenge for businesses and local authorities. In this article, the concept of a “smart city“ is examined as an intelligent system that is designed and managed at a new level of efficiency, whether from a purely technological or a socio-urban perspective. It is demonstrated that, to ensure the effectiveness of digital platforms for public participation in governance, attention should be paid not only to their technical parameters and the forms of public participation employed (information provision, consultation, dialogue), but also to the public significance of the issues under discussion. Indicators of technical capabilities, the degree of public participation, and the public significance of the issues under discussion will help to assess the effectiveness of e-participation platforms and can be used in their evaluation and comparative analysis at the state level. The study will be of interest to government officials and business representatives involved in the development, implementation and improvement of existing information and communication technologies with a view to promoting citizens’ socio-political participation.