Smart cities, AI, online participation and local state capacity

Smart Cities focus on the role of new information technologies in local governance, administration and service delivery. In Smart Cities, online participation and the involvement of citizens in decision-making is a prerequisite for targeted, highly responsive policies. On the one hand, feedback can be generated using new online and offline participation tools such as Consul or Decidim (see blended participation). Freedom of information and open data are relevant here. On the other hand, social media, but also consumption patterns, mobility (big) data are collected by new sensors and analysed by new algorithms. Governance by algorithms includes a discussion on how these are developed. Generative AI can support these processes. What will be implemented? Which governmental capacities are relevant at the local level?