Co-designing smart cities: A case study in the New Zealand context

Abstract

Designing smart cities that align with community needs requires both innovation and active participation. However, engaging the community can be challenging due to the diverse range of stakeholders, their requirements and hesitation to participate. Co-design offers a collaborative solution, involving the community from the outset, and ensuring designs meet expectations. This research explores the feasibility of co-design approaches for smart city development in New Zealand, using a local council as a case study. We conducted an online survey with 248 participants to assess public attitudes. Survey results highlighted strong interest in addressing traffic congestion, environmental monitoring and public safety. Using these results we conducted a co-design workshop (n=13) to encourage ideation. The co-design process generated innovative concepts, evaluated based on cost, deliverability, and novelty. Findings demonstrate the potential of co-design methodologies to bridge the gap between community needs and smart city technology, offering a foundation for future urban development initiatives.