Smart Citizens Lab

Frank KresinResearch Director

@kresin / frank@waag.org

• For self expression and communication

• Linking people, groups, communities

• Sharing thoughts, blueprints, algorithms

• Reflecting & understanding

And discovering it’sunderlying meaning.

Technology

• Making is crucial to understand and act in our world

• Best producer is the user

• (S)he can learn to make (almost) anything

• Sharing knowledge is the key to innovation

Maker Ethics

Smart Citizens

• Will take responsibility for the place they live, work and love;• Value access over ownership, contribution over power;• Will ask forgiveness, not permission;• Know where they can get the tools, knowledge and support;• Value empathy, dialogue and trust;• Appropriate technology, rather than accept it as is;• Will help the people that struggle with smart stuff;• Ask questions, before they come up with answers;• Take part in design efforts to come up with better solutions;• Work agile, prototype early, test quickly, start all over;• Will not stop in the face of huge barriers;• Continuously share their knowledge and their learning.

http://waag.org/nl/blog/manifesto-smart-citizens

?

• Ambient (outdoor air pollution) in both cities and rural areas was estimated to cause 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in 2012.

• By reducing air pollution levels, countries can reduce the burden of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma.

• The lower the levels of air pollution, the better the cardiovascular and respiratory health of the population will be, both long- & short-term.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/

WHO

http://www.eea.europa.eu/media/newsreleases/air-pollution-still-causing-harm

Amsterdam Measuring Stations

http://www.luchtmetingen.amsterdam.nl/

Empower people to:

• Make visible and tangible the invisible

• Understand their environment

• Turn data and insight into action

• Using public networks of low cost, open source sensors

Smart Citizen Team

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R90fsItpzT4

https://smartcitizen.me

Smart Citizen Kit

From Sensors to Sensing

• Broad implementation of Smart Citizen Kits

• Support and guidance• Enhancing data literacy• Visualisation and

interpretation • Discussion and action

Visualisations

http://waag.org/en/project/smart-citizen-kit

Lessons Learned

• Sensors need improvement

• However, this is not about accuracy

• Thorough issue mapping is needed

• From sensing to action is challenging

• Citizens love it

Smart Citizens Lab

Urban Environmental Challenges

• Better informed, more engaged citizens

• Impactful dialogues between citizens and governments

• More data, more insight, better policies

• More enjoyable, healthy, livable cities

Resulting in

Issue Mapping:Topical Barcamp

Sensors:Open Hardware

Bootcamp

Sensing:Data Collection

Understanding:Visualisation & Interpretation

Action:Community Meetup

HvA

RIVM

AMS / Alterra

SenseMakers

AmEcBoard

Amsterdam CTO

FabLab Amsterdam

Open Wetlab

Waag Society

Amsterdam Smart Citizens Lab

Activities Phase 1 Partners

http://waag.org/en/project/smart-citizens-lab

ILLUMINATED CITIES

BASED ON EMPOWERMENT

EMBRACING BOTTOM UP INITIATIVES

MAXIMISING POSSIBILITIES

WELCOMING FRICTION

ENABLING CREATIVITY https://tinyurl.com/illuminated-cities

Pointers

• Amsterdam Smart Citizens Lab http://waag.org/nl/project/smart-citizens-lab

• Design Rules for Smarter Citieshttp://waag.org/nl/blog/design-rules-smarter-cities

• Smart Citizens Publicationhttp://futureeverything.org/publications/smart-citizens/

• Digital Social Innovationhttp://digitalsocial.eu/

• Illuminated Citieshttps://www.waag.org/nl/blog/smart-cities-make-dumb-citizens

• Users as Designershttp://waag.org/en/project/users-designers

Sint Antoniesbreestraat 691011 HB Amsterdam

waag.org / info@waag.org

Frank KresinResearch Director@kresin / frank@waag.org