Reconciling Nature-Technology-Child Connections: Smart Cities and the Necessity of a New Paradigm of Nature-Sensitive Technologies for Today’s Children

Abstract

There is a serious and problematic disconnection between children and the natural environment. This has been documented across various disciplines and fields of endeavour, including science, the creative arts, the social sciences, education, design, and the humanities. The nature–people disconnection is particularly concerning at this present juncture when understanding and advocating for the natural environment is necessary to address global environmental crises. Smart cities have, to date, focused on business and economic directions. In recent times, there has been an emerging awareness that such technologically advanced urban environments must link to and inspire an understanding and care for nature in more profound and meaningful ways. Therefore, this paper aims to identify opportunities and discuss how technology can improve this interaction through advancing and implementing nature-positive and nature-sensitive technologies through a critical review of the literature spanning smart cities, children, and nature-based technologies. Such linkages can serve as a driving force behind the transformation of cities as they adapt to support initiatives, such as the post-2020 biodiversity agenda.

Exploring biocultural diversity in urban ecosystems: an ethnobiological perspective

“…The area of technology integrated with knowledge related to plants, their histories, traditions, and their potential uses has shown potential to be developed. Researchers are, for example, investigating the use of technology to help children form bonds with their local natural environments and how interactive digital systems use contemporary participatory sensing applications for smartphones and tablets using automated visual identification of botanical species (e.g., iNaturalist) (Sultana and Hawken 2023). These apps can facilitate the "exploration"of nature by being mobile learning tools for users to engage through a variety of senses, such as observing shapes, colors, textures, and scents of different species.…”