Co-design, Co-creation, and Co-production of Smart Mobility System

Abstract

Smart Cities with their mobility system are assumed to be based on smart technology, smart people or smart collaboration, assigning citizens significant roles. While some argue that ICT will enhance democratic debate and empower citizens, others concern about the development of Smart Cities “without critical discussions and politics”. Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) launched its Smart City project in 2010, setting specific criteria to ensure the “participation of all the stakeholders”; however, drawing on analysis of official documents as well as on interviews with each of the four Smart Communities’ stakeholders, the paper explains that very little input is expected from Japanese citizens. Instead, ICTs are used by municipalities and electric utilities to steer project participants and to change their behaviour. The objective of these experiments would not be to involve citizens in city governance, but rather to make them participate in the co-production of public services.