Digital innovations like civic technology, geographic information systems (GIS), the sharing economy, open data, AI and digital platforms have changed how people understand, manage and participate in city life. While they have the potential to drastically improve urban life – by modernizing cities’ operations and addressing a wide range of urban challenges through a more efficient and accurate use of data, unfortunately, in many Smart Cities technology has been applied uncritically, based on supply rather than demand. Investments in smart city projects that prioritize technology’s capabilities over residents’ needs have not delivered expected impact, while increasing disparities.
