Mobile Phones as Participatory Technology
Urban planning departments across the United States are optimistic towards using mobile apps to connect with citizens for feedback on their neighborhoods. The innovation of apps like See Click Fix allow users to upload pictures of problems in the city that need attention in real-time. (Phone photos have GPS coordinates embedded within its metadata, saving time for the citizen who doesn’t have to look up an address.) Whether it be a pothole, broken swing, or graffiti, the message to fix it gets communicated to the right channels.
As urbanization continues, it puts a strain on a city’s metabolism. This naturally leads to increased wear and tear. Limited resources make it difficult for city government to identify issues independently. Individual participation is a great way to increase the number of eyes on the city. It allows for constituents to indicate what’s important to them and get a response in real-time.
Mobile apps used in this way could be scaled beyond engagement for identifying problems. Imagine volunteer groups who want to pitch in a few hours to make their city a better place — this accumulated data could be a resource to learn what parts of their city need a little tlc. This way citizens can be engaged in city impact from problem identification through finding solutions.
96% of Americans own a cell phone. Municipal governments utilizing mobile technology acknowledges a wider, more representative audience who would be able to participate in community development and ensure safer, cleaner cities for all.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0885412210394100
