Participation development in responsive city with self-organizing approach (the case of Tehran city)

Abstract

In recent years, due to the introduction of new solutions in transportation, environment, and urban management using information and communication technologies, the popularity of smart cities has increased. However, less attention has been paid to the fundamental role of citizens in smart cities. So far, citizen participation with a responsive approach has not been studied, and there have been few quantitative studies on self-organization in citizen participation development. Nowadays, the paradigm of the citizen's role has changed. In the past, citizens had one-sided participation, but now smart citizens must actively participate in urban affairs as well as use modern technologies. This issue depends on legal and social infrastructures to achieve smart citizen participation. One of the recent developments in information technology is the changing concept of smart cities to responsive cities. So far, the focus of smart cities has been on the capabilities that organizations provide to citizens, but in responsive cities, citizens actively participate through activities that promote participation, such as open data, online platforms, living labs, and direct interaction. Additionally, the city is self-organized and uses digital capabilities. Therefore, this study aims to develop citizen participation in a responsive city with a self-organized approach. Based on prior research, a research model was designed, and a questionnaire was distributed among Tehran residents to analyze their participation in a responsive city. Regression analysis was utilized for calculations and analyzing data. The overall evaluation of the model indicated that variables in a responsive city such as open data, online platforms, and living labs only have an impact on citizen participation if there is self-organization. According to the results, only the variable of direct interaction affects citizen participation, while open data, online platforms, and living labs do not have an impact, and their effect depends on self-organization.