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?
Joining Forces - Chapter 5
4. Speak Out
Once you have established working relationships with one or more cities and experimented with knowledge exchange and reciprocal learning, you are ready to define a broader networking strategy as a permanent framework for your city's activities. Sign up to platforms and associations that are coherent with your innovation approach and objectives and those of your local partnership. Select those where you may choose to adopt a proactive approach, bringing in your communication products and actively participating in meetings and conferences. As you do so, it's important to ensure that your local partnership is behind you when you tour the world to promote your strategy and its initiatives. They should also be encouraged to join the same or similar networks, perhaps more oriented towards their specific needs, i.e. business alliances, environmental networks, technology user groups, etc. as a means of promoting 'network literacy' throughout your local innovation community.
Finally, strong participation in global networks is in the end a political commitment, an arena where you need to promote the actions and approaches that you and your local partnership feel are the right way to go. Remember, at the base of your that the problems your city faces are generated and where the decision to embrace citizen-driven innovation is the desire to courage and commitment of change makers across the globe fully address some of the terribly urgent problems facing our will be required if we are to hope to reach global solutions. // planet. Your network commitments and engagements are the best way to scale up the knowledge and experience base you build to meet your city's needs. After all, it is at the global level that the problems your city faces are generated and where the courage and commitment of change makers across the globe will be required if we are to hope to reach global solutions.
Box 34
CitiSense
In the context of the Smart City Expo World Conference 2013 in Barcelona, the World Bank and partners hosted the first CitiSense event. Participation from around the world saw more than 240 attendants, including public officials and city and municipal leaders from about 90 developing and developed cities together with over 50 speakers, urban and energy specialists, and technologists. Participants exchanged experiences and were introduced to innovative projects designed to enhance public service delivery through technology-enabled collaboration with citizens.
Checklist for Joining Forces
Have you...
- Looked at videos and presentations of other cities' innovation strategies?
- Made a list of what makes your city and its approach special according to different stakeholders?
- Brought together your city's University departments that deal with different aspects of innovation?
- Listed the international network opportunities for your innovation partnership?
- Identified at least one up-coming public occasion in which to promote citizen-driven innovation?