Community Engagement in Decision-making and Planning Process

The way we describe and understand cities is radically transforming - just like the tools we use for designing and implementing them. The change is often seen only as a technological aspect, for example in the concept of smart cities. Smart cities have been believed to provide societies with a higher quality of life thanks to modern technologies. However, there is also a human factor that is needed to make these changes smoothly: acceptance. For many, change and innovation cause fear and disrupt everyday habits. Public participation is crucial both for understanding citizens’ needs and for adopting new programs. The ability to try, engage or entertain with new technologies will move innovation from the abstract level to the level of understanding. In this regard, many authors redefine the perspective on urban stakeholders. This has resonated in many discussions in all range of public matters from community planning to civic participation and engagement in public issues. Several authors refer to communities and civil society actors as those who are able to develop new social practices and introduce novel approaches to acting and decision-making based on cooperation and creation of networks in contrast to the systems of vertical control (top-down government). A smart city is a living laboratory that test new technologies and services where citizens and urban communities are active actors in the process. Innovation can be used by the city to improve its services, mutual communication and engage citizens in its activities and projects, co-creating urban space and city strategy through new participatory tools. The boom in the field of information and communication technologies has fundamentally affected the development of societies and the way they interact. Trends in Western European cities show that the use of modern digital technologies and interactive tools can be used to involve citizens in urban decision-making processes, particularly when creating or revitalizing common-shared public spaces. Modern participatory technologies, which enable citizens exploring, analysing, designing and evaluating spatial information on the basis of shared and open data, bring new challenges and new opportunities for cities as well as for citizens. Our knowledge of the implications of these new technologies on urban ecosystem, however, is still narrow and limited today. In the following research, the authors intend to explore the potential of digital technologies for community engagement in the decision-making process in smart cities