Actual practices of citizen participation in smart cities

Abstract

This article attempts to explore the actual citizen participation practices. Scholarly articles on smart cities have investigated different aspects of the smart city paradigm. Despite increased scholarships on smart cities examining the citizen-centric claim, the praxis of citizen participation has not received much attention. Therefore, the aim of this article is to explore and understand the ‘actual practices’ of citizen participation in smart cities and how can an inclusive and equitable citizen participation can be ensured. Based on an in-depth review and analysis of secondary data, this article argues that enabling “active” involvement of citizenry through a rights-based approach can make citizen participation a worthwhile endeavor in the development process, which is equitable, inclusive and sustainable.