Physical Computing
EU Parlament
Citizen-centric smart city sensing and data initiative.
Applied Futures & Innovation
Physical Computing
Smart City
The Inquiry
Smarter cities don't always mean empowered citizens. Government data often contradicts lived experience, especially regarding radiation, noise, and air pollution. We asked: How can we bridge the gap between policy and reality?
The Prototype
We co-created the Smart Citizen Kit—an integrated tool featuring pollution sensors, an intuitive data dashboard, and community-driven interventions. Deployed across Barcelona, Amsterdam, Eindhoven, and Pristina, we identified gaps in policy through collaborative workshops with local activists and equipped them with the tools to gather their own evidence.
The Future Impact
Policy Change: In Barcelona, citizen data led to new weekday noise laws and the creation of community spaces (playgrounds/planters).
Open Science: Findings were published openly, inspiring global communities to advocate for reform.
Legacy: Proved that equipping citizens with HCI research tools can effectively influence environmental policies.