Facilitating citizen participation in greenfield smart city development: The case of a human-centered approach in Kashiwanoha international campus town

Abstract

Drawing on a qualitative analysis of official documents, field observations, and interviews with citizens and planners, this article examines how Kashiwanoha International Campus Town has attempted to actively engage its new residents in smart city making despite being built from scratch. The study draws on recent scholarship advocating for a human-centered approach in which smart technologies are used as tools to address local social issues, meet resident needs, and engage citizens in the co-creation of the smart city. This perspective favors context-sensitive and collaborative approaches to smart city development, but building or rebuilding smart cities from scratch continues to capture the interest of enterprises and governments despite widespread criticism for lacking citizen input and struggling to foster community. The findings of the case indicate that actively investing in citizen participation and placemaking promotes community formation and fosters an open environment for innovation and experimentation. However, challenges remain in empowering grassroots innovation, implying that balancing community-driven and technology-driven smartification is difficult in such contexts. Overall, the paper contributes empirical evidence to limited understanding about the actual experiences of citizens living in similar developments, and it makes recommendations to shift the bleak narrative surrounding new smart cities in more positive directions.