The 2024 AAG conference hosted an insightful session titled “Digitally-enabled Social Innovation Initiatives in the City,” organized by Venere Stefania Sanna, Cristina Capineri, and Pouya Sepehr from the University of Siena, Italy, along with Chiara Certomà from Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. The session was chaired by Venere Stefania Sanna and Cristina Capineri. Held on April 19th from 1:20 PM to 2:40 PM in Room 319A at the Hawai’i Convention Center, the session drew significant attention both in-person and online through its hybrid streaming setup. This participation in the conference highlighted the important contributions of the DSI in the City initiative to the field of social innovation.
One of the most important challenges in modern society involves understanding and governing the digital revolution, along with its sociopolitical repercussions. Moving beyond the uncritical technology and optimism inherent in digital capitalism, it is vital to contemplate the spatial, sociocultural, and politico-economic impacts stemming from the widespread permeation of digital technologies (Fields et al., 2020).
Cities, as hubs for the blossoming of Digitally-enabled Social Innovation (DSI) initiatives, feel these impacts particularly strongly. DSI involves a variety of collaborative innovation practices, such as ‘fab-labs’, open software co-creators, and ‘citizen scientists’. These practices unite communities of innovators, who, with varying intentions—from strengthening and reforming to subverting neoliberal institutions—leverage digital technologies and internet connectivity to develop knowledge and solutions addressing myriad social needs. By enabling citizen participation and providing services to harnessing people’s creativity, DSI initiatives are proliferating and transforming both the structural and operational spaces of contemporary cities. The compactness of cities, coupled with high levels of connectivity, density, and potentially exponential creative contaminations, provides ideal conditions for DSIs in terms of practicality, social acceptability, and the effectiveness of proposed innovations.
However, the spatial dimensions implicated in, and created by, DSI practices have been notably underexplored in scientific literature. This oversight in considering the spatiality of DSIs hinders a deeper understanding of the sociopolitical implications of the ‘Digital Turn’ (Ash et al., 2018), which includes threats to social justice and sustainability, as well as strategies for constructing alternative platform futures (Graham, 2020).
Our session aimed to delve into how changes in the digital dimension influence the organization, comprehension, and operation of society across its various spatial dimensions. Specifically, the spatial structures that are both generated by and generate DSI initiatives, serving as sites and tools for the (re)production of power geometries, and fostering imaginaries and narratives about the city’s destiny, warrant consideration.
The session showcased a series of compelling presentations that explored the intersection of digital technology and urban social innovation. Here is a brief overview of the presentations and key takeaways:
- Di Wang: “How does innovation network improve high-quality development? Evidence from Chinese cities”
- Di Wang’s presentation delved into the mechanisms through which innovation networks contribute to sustainable urban development in China. His analysis provided valuable insights into the role of collaborative networks in enhancing the quality of urban growth.
- Lalita Kraus: “Urban intelligence friction within peripheral data-driven urbanism” Presentation file
- Lalita Kraus examined the challenges and frictions that arise in the implementation of data-driven urban strategies in peripheral regions. Her research highlighted the disparities and potential conflicts inherent in integrating advanced urban intelligence into less central urban areas.
- Carolina Pacchi: “Emerging spatialities of hybrid community initiatives in Italian cities. Insights from Civic crowdfunding and Social streets” Presentation file
- Carolina Pacchi discussed the innovative spatial practices emerging from hybrid community initiatives in Italy. She focused on civic crowdfunding and social street projects, illustrating how these initiatives reshape urban spaces and foster community engagement.
- Venere Stefania Sanna: “Social and the city: a methodology to assess Digitally-enabled Social Innovation practices” Presentation file
- Venere Stefania Sanna presented a comprehensive methodology for assessing the impact of digitally-enabled social innovation practices in urban settings. Her framework aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and social benefits of digital initiatives in enhancing urban life.
- Jin-Kyu Jung, University of Washington-Bothell: “Playful Data: Smart City Photo Booths” Presentation file
- Jin-Kyu Jung introduced the concept of “Playful Data” through the innovative use of Smart City Photo Booths. His presentation showcased how these interactive installations can engage citizens in urban data collection and visualization, promoting a playful yet informative interaction with city data.
The session provided a dynamic platform for discussing the future of urban social innovation, emphasizing the critical role of digital technologies in shaping more inclusive and participatory cities.
Stay tuned for more updates and insights from AAG 2024 as we continue to explore the transformative power of digital innovation in our cities.
