Citizen-Driven Innovation

Read this guidebook, which explores smart cities through a lens that promotes citizens as the driving force of urban innovation. It presents different models of smart cities that show how citizen-centric methods can mobilize resources to respond innovatively to challenges in governance. The living lab approach encourages agile development and the rapid prototyping of ideas in a decentralized and user-centric manner. How can mayors and public administrators create partnerships that drive value in their communities through citizen-driven innovation? How can sustainability be integrated into municipal strategies and solutions? How can city leaders join forces to learn and network globally?

Ensuring Sustainability Chapter 4

While the sustainability of individual projects and city services is an integral part of a sound codesign process as illustrated above, it is equally important to think of the broader sustainability of your citizen-driven innovation partnership.

This will not only ensure the long-term success of individual projects and continuity over time of the benefits of engagement, but it also provides the foundation to make innovation a widely shared practice throughout your city. In order to attain this, you need to think about sustainability from

different points of view, in particular from the institutional, social, and economic standpoints, listen to those who consider each aspect to be most relevant, and work together to build a viable strategy

In this chapter, we discuss three key issues for ensuring the sustainability of your citizen-driven innovation partnership:

  1. Demonstrate impact
  2. Structure appropriately
  3. Ensure financial and policy support