The Wisdom of Crowds: Developing Digital Cities Dave Harte Birmingham City University Digital Birmingham [email_address] http://daveharte.com @daveharte

Birmingham Second Life Island

Making Birmingham a digital city for everyone.

Making Birmingham a digital city for everyone.

Digital Cities - some ingredients First, some theory Ingredient 1: A desire to talk about things Ingredient 2: A social culture Ingredient 3: Data Policy Matters Ingredient 4: Some ‘big stuff’ to get angry about

First, some theory

Ingredient 1: A desire to talk about things

Ingredient 2: A social culture

Ingredient 3: Data

Policy Matters

Ingredient 4: Some ‘big stuff’ to get angry about

Some theory: We know nothing about the future of technology http://davidszondy.com/future/futurepast.htm McLuhan: Users shape technology use

http://davidszondy.com/future/futurepast.htm

Future users: Here’s what 4 year olds know - a screen that ships without a mouse ships broken Clay Shirky

Future users:

Here’s what 4 year olds know - a screen that ships without a mouse ships broken

Clay Shirky

Clay Shirky Cognitive Surplus “ Desperate Housewives essentially functioned as a kind of cognitive heat sink, dissipating thinking that might otherwise have built up and caused society to overheat”

“ Desperate Housewives essentially functioned as a kind of cognitive heat sink, dissipating thinking that might otherwise have built up and caused society to overheat”

Clay Shirky – Cognitive Surplus “ Someone working alone, with really cheap tools, has a reasonable hope of carving out enough of the cognitive surplus, enough of the desire to participate , enough of the collective goodwill of the citizens, to create a resource you couldn't have imagined existing even five years ago .”

“ Someone working alone, with really cheap tools, has a reasonable hope of carving out enough of the cognitive surplus, enough of the desire to participate , enough of the collective goodwill of the citizens, to create a resource you couldn't have imagined existing even five years ago .”

Some theory Let’s not predict technology use Users are a resource Little bits of time to create amazing things

Let’s not predict technology use

Users are a resource

Little bits of time to create amazing things

Ingredient 1 A DESIRE TO TALK ABOUT THINGS

A DESIRE TO TALK ABOUT THINGS

Ingredient 2 A SOCIAL CULTURE

A SOCIAL CULTURE

WXWM - impromptu, self-organising

Social Media Surgeries

http://bevocal.org.uk

http://bevocal.org.uk

BeVocal gives gentle introductions to using data in new ways Aimed at enhancing understanding of new ways to use internet tools

BeVocal gives gentle introductions to using data in new ways

Aimed at enhancing understanding of new ways to use internet tools

Ingredient 3 DATA

DATA

Timely Information “ RAW DATA NOW”

“ RAW DATA NOW”

My raw data

Hacking the City Timely Information for Citizens Pilot project ‘Birmingham Open City’ National & International profile for local stuff

Timely Information for Citizens

Pilot project ‘Birmingham Open City’

National & International profile for local stuff

Some Policy - UK Creative Britain We’re better than anyone else, well done. Ofcom Public Service Broadcasting review People value quality. Quality public broadcasting can be online. Power of Information Public sector meets active citizenship Push to free up data

Creative Britain

We’re better than anyone else, well done.

Ofcom Public Service Broadcasting review

People value quality. Quality public broadcasting can be online.

Power of Information

Public sector meets active citizenship

Push to free up data

The Policy Context Digital Britain Let’s get the pipes in place Policy recognising shift: that’s helpful

Digital Britain

Let’s get the pipes in place

Policy recognising shift:

that’s helpful

Digital Inclusion matters “ Increased awareness would lead to more people engaging in digital participation. Building awareness of what it is possible to do quickly and easily online could encourage greater participation.” (Ofcom Citizen Participation research)

“ Increased awareness would lead to more people engaging in digital participation. Building awareness of what it is possible to do quickly and easily online could encourage greater participation.”

(Ofcom Citizen Participation research)

Ingredient 4 SOME ‘BIG STUFF’ TO GET ANGRY ABOUT

SOME ‘BIG STUFF’ TO GET ANGRY ABOUT

HACKING THE CITY

A digital opportunity: Cognitive surplus + Raw Data = new and exciting area of the digital economy It’s a business opportunity

Cognitive surplus + Raw Data =

new and exciting area of the digital economy

It’s a business opportunity

But, there’s going to be a fight Commerce Economic Development Professionals High margins Professional Pride Corporate culture Networking culture Charity Cultural Development Amateur Free Civic Pride Grassroots culture Social Culture

Commerce

Economic Development

Professionals

High margins

Professional Pride

Corporate culture

Networking culture

A new digital workforce In small companies In public sector In bedrooms Networked Showing off

In small companies

In public sector

In bedrooms

Networked

Showing off

Creating the conditions for a Digital City It is all about the crowd (users, workers, brokers) pic: peteashton

It is all about the crowd (users, workers, brokers)

Creating the conditions for a Digital City In-fighting, bickering - it’s all good fun pic: peteashton

In-fighting, bickering - it’s all good fun

Summary Ingredient 1: A desire to talk about things Ingredient 2: A social culture Ingredient 3: Data Ingredient 4: Some ‘big stuff’ to get angry about = a messy, exciting digital city

Ingredient 1: A desire to talk about things

Ingredient 2: A social culture

Ingredient 3: Data

Ingredient 4: Some ‘big stuff’ to get angry about

= a messy, exciting digital city

Thank you

Thank you