Context/Background

Compiling, sharing, discussing, and elevating the knowledge of the global community of urban and territorial planning professionals is at the forefront of the International Society of City and Regional Planners' agenda, as well as the project office ISOCARP Institute.  

One of the main activities of ISOCARP is the organisation of the annual World Planning Congress which focuses on a planning theme of foremost international interest. Attended by some 500-750 delegates, ISOCARP World Planning Congresses are small enough for a personal interchange of ideas on a given theme, yet big enough to encompass a broad professional and international range. The Congresses are open to ISOCARP Members, but our Society warmly welcomes non-members (individuals, parties or organisations). The Congress provides a platform for establishing professional as well as personal contacts with colleagues from all around the world.

The 56^th ISOCARP World Planning Congress "Post-Oil City. Planning for Urban Green Deals" is held virtually from 8 November 2020 to 4 February 2021. ISOCARP Institute is proud to host the Special Session "Digital Infrastructure for Smart Services and Public Value " on 9 December 2020, 1.30 pm CET.

Description of the session 

The transition to a New Green Deal is often conceived as an unavoidable change of paradigm in order to face the global emergency of human-induced climate change and ensure the liveability of our planet in the next decades. Jeremy Rifkin (2019) sees a compelling New Green Deal as the core of an already ongoing green digital Third Industrial Revolution and the opportunity to complete its emerging communication, energy and mobility infrastructure matrix.

Assuming this perspective, it is important to understand the potentialities of the technologies shaping the new digital "infrastructure", but also to reflect on the critical implications for governance, participation and public value. This is even more evident at the urban level, where cities are excellent laboratories to test the deployment of just and equal new Urban Green Deals together with their local communities. How can smart cities be effectively sustainable, participatory, collaborative and more equitable? How can local administrations implement urban services starting from the most pressing citizens' needs, avoiding the narratives which depict some technological solutions as inevitable (Bria & Morozov 2018). How to create bold city visions which are integral and promote a collaborative effort of transformation, including all the actors and stakeholders?

This Special Session will reflect on how cities can support the ecological transition by providing more sustainable urban services (i.e. energy, health, mobility, etc.) and improving the quality of life of citizens. This session is relevant especially for those cities which are introducing smart and green pilot projects in their local contexts, and seek for collaboration with local communities and actors to achieve a successful implementation. Direct experiences from the EU projects where ISOCARP Institute is involved will be presented.

Objectives of the session

• Discuss how to implement digital urban services which improve sustainability and citizens' quality of life 
• Discuss the implications for governance and participation, exploring alternative practices
• Foster cross-learning and sharing from different projects and local experiences
  

Programme/Agenda

Online Workshop

This Special Session aims at giving voice to the experiences and practices of ordinary European cities, which differ from European capital cities in terms of population, size, resources, attractiveness, competitiveness, and often governance. The online workshop is intended to provide a space for sharing local experiences from cities which are facing similar challenges, as well as for discussing the implementation of digital urban services and specific smart solutions. 

At the beginning a short survey will be conducted in order to capture the diversity of the participants. It will include questions such as the role/stakeholder type, the cities the participants represent and the cities' level of digital maturity. 

The following topics will be discussed during the session:

1. Challenges & initiation: how to identify a specific problem for citizens which could be solved through a new digital service and a smart solution (ex. city vision, local surveys and researches, lobbying activities,…)? How to ensure the legitimacy of this intervention and that it effectively promotes public value? How to identify and select pilot sites where to test it and start the deployment?
2. Governance & implementation: what are the main barriers to implementation (ex. financial resources, lack of technical capacities, resistance from local communities, etc.)? How to coordinate with all the stakeholders and partners involved in the process, including the private sector? How to avoid silos between city departments and make sure that the initiative is integrated and mainstreamed into existing municipal plans?
3. Participation & communication: how to involve citizens and local communities in the process? What are the most effective strategies/tools (ex. citizens observatories, peer assemblies, co-creation workshops, etc.)? How to communicate and inform effectively about the progress and the implementation of a smart initiative?