Addressing inequalities in smart places: a primer for public administrations and third sector organisations

Gerli, Paolo; Ferreri, Mara; Lauri, Cristiana; Regalia, Marta; Williams, Andrew

Abstract

Over the past 15 years, a variety of initiatives that claim to make places smarter have been launched at different geographic levels and scales, with smart cities and smart villages being just the most prominent examples of this phenomenon. Despite their promises to foster socio-economic development through the implementation of innovative solutions, these initiatives have also attracted several criticisms. One of the areas of major concern for scholars, policymakers and activists is the ambiguous impact of smart places on existing inequalities. Much attention has been paid to the effects of smart cities and smart villages on digital and spatial divides within and between urban and rural areas. Many have also emphasised how biases in the design and implementation of smart technologies may accentuate socio-economic, gender-based and racial discriminations.Drawing on this academic debate, this report presents the results of a multidisciplinary research project exploring how inequalities are conceived and assessed in the context of smart places. The analysis focuses on two second-tier cities in Italy and Scotland and highlights a series of shortcomings in how inequalities are dealt with by policymakers and practitioners. To address these shortcomings, the authors propose a set of recommendations targeting both public administrations at different geographic levels and civil society organisations committed to reducing inequalities in smart places.

Citation

Gerli, P., Ferreri, M., Lauri, C., Regalia, M., & Williams, A. (2024). Addressing inequalities in smart places: a primer for public administrations and third sector organisations. The British Academy, Accademia dei Lincei

• Report Type: Project Report
• Online Publication Date: Apr 25, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024
• Deposit Date: May 1, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: May 1, 2024
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4800609
• Keywords: smart cities, smart villages, smart places, digital divide, gender inequalities, racial inequalities, digital inclusion, equity, socio-digital inequalities
• Publisher URL: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/programmes/knowledge-frontiers-symposia/the-accademia-nazionale-dei-lincei-and-the-british-academy-knowledge-frontiers-symposium/