How can citizens participate in research projects that place their needs at the centre?

‘The Bristol Approach’ is a methodological framework that seeks to ensure that the new technologies developed under Smart City policies address the needs and priorities of people, particularly in communities that are at risk of being excluded from decision-making processes. The first implementation of the model resulted in a project where citizens co-designed their own open-source sensors to collect, share, and use data in order to tackle the issue of dampness in rental houses. The model was developed jointly with the City Council of Bristol (United Kingdom) and the Knowle West Media Center, and has been adapted in the development of the European project Making Sense (H2020-ICT-2015-688620), and adopted in eleven European cities through the Sharing Cities project.

The ‘Bristol Approach’ is a new way of working that ensures that technologies and programs for smart cities respond to the needs and priorities of the people who use them. The model consists of six phases and has been structured to ensure that community technology programs are based on relevant issues for local needs occurring at the community level, with local citizens actively participating in the design, testing, and evaluation.

Here you can download the report.