By examining the community-focused informatics work of Transparent Chennai (TC) (India) we seek to contrast the Smart Cities agenda — with its focus on the consumption and commercialization of digital technologies and infrastructure — to citizen-driven approaches, what we term, Smart Citizenship. A Smart Citizenship approach engages citizens in complementary digitally mediated and face-to-face processes that respect local knowledge systems. We devise a framework for understanding Smart Citizenship and link this to our case study of Transparent Chennai. Our research identifies how information and communication technologies (ICTs) can serve to spotlight overlooked or undervalued urban infrastructural, planning and environmental issues — such as the need for access to safe and clean public toilets; road safety and pro-pedestrian planning. We conclude by suggesting that a locally grounded Smart Citizenship agenda can reprioritize the needs and interests of local communities and neighbourhoods in urban governance, rather than those of exclusivist private commercial interests.

Urban voluntary associations and activists have long sought open civic space for articulating their ideas and ideals. With the advent of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), civic associational practices have arguably been significantly altered and these changes are in turn transforming civic space—particularly in cities with advanced digital infrastructure and uptake. This research examines two civic environmental groups in order to understand how and why ICTs are transforming civic space in the island city-state of Singapore. The article employs a case comparison of two age-distinct civic associations—Nature Society (Singapore) and Green Drinks Singapore—in order to distinguish the digital activities of established versus nascent civic environmental groups. The article employs a three-part socio-technical framework—focusing on ‘organizational, participatory and spatial’ transformations—for unpacking ICT-linked practices amongst civic associations. The article will also examine the recent rise of informal civic-cyber green groups that both work with and yet paradoxically remain autonomous of established civic associations. The case studies provides evidence of the changing tactics of civic (and cyber) environmentalism and insights into the changing nature of civic space in Singapore.

No abstract

Civic non-profit associations are experimenting with Information Communications Technologies (ICTs) as tools for transforming their work. The hybrid “info-sociation” concept—combining information and association—is introduced here for studying ICT-linked transformations. An info-sociational diagnostic supports comparisons of ICT praxis at civic associations in Hong Kong and Taipei, including transformations in: governance; organizational and participatory practices. These case studies also explore how civic environmentalists are experimenting with ICTs, including: green new media; map mash-ups for urban monitoring; digital storytelling; and e-platforms for public participation. The working diagnostic introduced in this paper serves three ends: 1) studying the shift from associations to info-sociations; 2) comparing civic strategies for ICT uses; and 3) theorizing about the co-evolution of local civic associations and ICTs.

No abstract