Engaging with the Smart City Through Urban Data Games

Abstract

Decades ago, the mention of 'digital cities' made us think of visually simple and relatively primitive early Internet and Worldwide Web representations of aspects of real cities, particularly in terms of culture and community. Currently, we have divergent views and expectations of digital or information and communication technology (ICT) when looking at the role that this technology can play in our ideas about our future, digitally enhanced cities. Broadband information highways have been introduced to connect countries, regions, cities, and their infrastructures worldwide. These infrastructures include governmental, business, transportation and mobility, and safety and security services. Underlying the development of these infrastructures, we have research and development on information and communication technology, research on information systems, software engineering, network technology, security and privacy, and human-computer interactions. Of course, it is possible to go into more detail and mention signal processing, nanotechnology, smart materials, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and many subareas of behavioral sciences. In recent years, ICT has made it possible to talk about intelligent and smart cities. The focus of intelligent and smart cities can be on providing such cities with a competitive advantage over other cities. This advantage needs to come from an awareness that the comprehensive employment of advanced ICT can help to solve problems related to transportation, mobility, energy distribution, and safety and security as well as help in urban development, crucial decision-making, and stimulating innovation and economic development. Having these issues taken care of in the most efficient way is something we expect of those who develop and offer employment of smart technology. Citizens of intelligent and smart cities may be satisfied with having an efficient home, office, and city environment. However, they usually want more, which is where issues, such as social and intimate relations, affect and emotions, playful and social interactions, entertainment, leisure and health-related needs, and playful, entertaining, recreational, and humorous activities emerge. When we discuss developments in research on intelligent and smart cities, can we also distinguish vii

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