Abstract
In the Global North and increasingly in the Global South, smart city technologies are enthusiastically seen as a solution to urban problems and as an alternative to austerity. However, to move beyond a narrow technological focus, it is necessary to explore the degree to which smart initiatives are committed to building socially inclusive innovation with learning at its core. Using the particular case of the Future City Demonstrator Initiative in Glasgow, United Kingdom, the most high-profile initiative of its kind funded by government, the authors of this article assess the extent to which this smart city adopts such an inclusive approach. They use the quadruple helix model (government – academia – industry – civil society) as a starting point and develop an analytic framework composed of four strands: (1) supporting participation of citizens in decision-making; (2) implementing technological innovation which positions citizens as active users; (3) implementing technological innovation to benefit the community; and (4) evaluating technological innovation in the light of the experiences and needs of citizens. Unlike most analyses, the principal focus of this article is on the fourth element of the helix, civil society. The authors argue that Glasgow’s rhetoric of smart urbanism, while aspiring to problem-solving, devalues certain principles of human agency. They emphasise that urban change, including the city’s desire to become technologically innovative, would more fully facilitate active citizenship, social inclusion and learning opportunities for all if it were underpinned by the broader conceptions and frameworks of learning cities.
Highlights
In a rapidly changing and globalised world, cities of the 21st century are under increasing pressure to develop their technological capacity
The Smart City Management System contributes to increasing transparency of data and public accountability in certain urban functions
The focus of our in-depth thematic analysis was upon identifying the involvement of the fourth helix in the implemented technological vision
Summary
In a rapidly changing and globalised world, cities of the 21st century are under increasing pressure to develop their technological capacity. For others (Hollands 2008; Luque-Ayala et al 2014), the smart city has the potential to dramatically improve local development as long as the vision is not disconnected from citizens and communities In this view, the human element plays a key role in ensuring that ICT can meaningfully contribute to urban growth. The interplay between (1) government, (2) academia and (3) industry in creating knowledge-based economies is captured by the so-called triple helix model of innovation (TH), which was developed by sociologists Henry Etzkowitz and Loet Leyesdorff (1995) Each actor in this triadic relationship contributes according to their established function in society. The main objective is to develop efficient and effective public administration products and services for citizens To differentiate it from the TH model, and to combine top-down and bottom-up approaches, the fourth helix must involve socially inclusive innovation. Footnote 5 continued partnership with industry and government and even take the lead in joint initiatives (Etzkowitz and Leydesdorff 2000). 6 The Mode 2 model in turn is distinguished from the traditional ‘‘Mode 1’’ form of knowledge production, which emanates from academia with a narrow homogeneous disciplinary focus. 7 It should be noted that Elias Carayannis et al (2012) later introduced a fifth helix representing the environmental settings of a particular region, and have referred to their model as the ‘‘quintuple helix’’. 8 A living lab(oratory) integrates research and innovation processes in real-life community contexts to test and promote user-centred, open-innovation ecosystems
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