Smartathon in Hamburg – Citizens Evaluated the smarticipate Application Design

What if every citizen had access to the same information as his or her local government? The smarticipate project aims to use open data to make this a reality, giving citizens the information needed to help shape their city. By making data accessible and understandable, citizens are empowered to give input on new public services and solutions to urban problems.

Over 40 people joined the interactive Smartathon in Hamburg on Saturday 8 October to co-design the upcoming smarticipate platform. After a brief introduction to the day by smarticipate project partners, the participants gathered in small groups to discuss how open data and information communication technologies (ICT) could facilitate the role of citizens in supporting the planning process of their own urban environments. Starting with a so-called “Urban Story”, developed by the smarticipate team, the Smartathon attendees explored how they themselves might use a tool like smarticipate. From user interfaces to data sources, participants brought their personal experience to the table, sharing how they believed smart technology could best serve citizens.

The participants critically discussed topics like data privacy, accessibility, and the extent to which citizens would be able to take part in the decision-making processes. The roles and responsibilities of citizens and their local councils regarding urban development were also a key topic in the discussions.

After considering the broader framework of the project, participants were asked to test-drive a mock version of the smarticipate platform on both desktop and mobile devices. Though the platform presented was only a prototype, users had a chance to get firsthand experience with the digital tools they were discussing. Technical experts from the City of Hamburg and the smarticipate project consortium were at hand to answer questions that were coming up throughout the day.

The feedback and discussions that took place will provide valuable input into the project as it progresses towards coding of the smarticipate platform. Equipped with detailed input from some of the intended end users, the smarticipate developers will further elaborate the citizen participation platform.

The smarticipate project team will come back to Hamburg for a second Smartathon when the first prototype will be available in order to evaluate if the -then developed- platform meets the expectations raised in this first Smartathon and to discuss future adjustment within the project’s lifetime.

Further information: http://www.smarticipate.eu/