Who is entitled to make space? : participation and co-creation in a citizen-involved smart city initiative

Abstract

As cities around the world address technological advancements and environmental challenges, the concept of public space is increasingly contested. Traditional top-down urban planning approaches, driven by technocratic systems and expert narratives, often overlook the diverse needs and experiences of citizens. In response, bottom-up approaches such as DIY urbanism have emerged, advocating for public spaces shaped by their inhabitants rather than imposed by planners. Emerging methods for joining these perspectives together further employ digital tools to mediate the co-creation processes. Compounded by the blurry future imaginary of the `smart' city permeating urban life, the role of citizen voices in imagineering the spaces of today and tomorrow is at a crossroads. This thesis examines these tensions in the context of holistic smart city development, using Vienna's 5er Klimateam project as a case study. It's investigation is grounded in a comprehensive literature review which explores key concepts of public space, future urban imaginaries, and collaborative city-making. This theoretical foundation informs the subsequent empirical research, which employs a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative content analysis with digital ethnography. The study analyzes 308 citizen submissions, their refinement into 27 projects, and the implementation of 5 selected initiatives, using data from the Wien Mitgestalten platform. The analysis reveals a significant gap between these citizen aspirations and final project implementations. Of the five projects selected for implementation, two showed little to no progress, while the others often diverged substantially from their original intentions. The research identifies a gradual dilution of citizen input throughout the process, with limited citizen involvement in the crucial implementation phase. Furthermore, the study highlights how city administration often retrofitted existing initiatives to address citizen proposals, rather than developing truly novel solutions based on community input. This research provides a critical, in-depth examination of a real-world smart city participatory initiative, offering insights into the practical challenges of integrating citizen input into urban planning. By connecting theoretical concepts from the literature review with empirical findings, it contributes to the discourse on citizen participation in smart cities. The study highlights the complexities of translating diverse citizen aspirations into concrete urban interventions within existing administrative frameworks, offering valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and researchers seeking to create more inclusive and responsive smart cities.