Together with my co-author Shane McLoughlin, and Brian Donnellan from LERO and Maynooth University, we presented a conference paper on 'How To Cope With The Dynamics Of Urban Sustainability: Urban Experimentation Platforms As Tools For Adaptive Policy-Making' at the European Conference of Information Systems (ECIS) in Timisoara, Romania.

Link to the paper

Abstract

The growing challenges of urban population, congestion, consumption and pollution, prompt cities to respond with policies that progress towards Urban Sustainability. Increasingly, Urban Experimentation (UX) engaging diverse stakeholders for local innovations, is viewed an enabler of iterative progress. Yet, despite various ‘smart city’ initiatives, how to cope with the dynamics underlying local innovation processes for urban sustainability is unclear. In this paper, we consider Urban Experimentation Platforms (UXPs) as a tool for coping with such dynamics. Using case data from the UXP of ‘OrganiCity’, our research considers how this UXP interacts with the dynamics of urban experimentation. We present early insights from our problem analysis using System Dynamics and outline our next steps. We find UXPs as both a tool for policy implementation and for adaptive policymaking, with understanding and utilisation of this latter aspect low. We conclude by discussing how IS research on UXPs contributes towards realising the potential of digital infrastructures for societal good.

Recommended Citation

Rehm, Sven-Volker; Mcloughlin, Shane J.; and Donnellan, Brian, "How To Cope With The Dynamics Of Urban Sustainability: Urban Experimentation Platforms As Tools For Adaptive Policy-Making" (2022). ECIS 2022 Research-in-Progress Papers. 61.

https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2022_rip/61