Making sensors visible could build civic trust

‘Smart cities’ have gradually developed something of an image problem – to some members of the public, the term invokes visions of a dystopian surveillance society and raises concerns about how their data will be used. That’s if people are aware of the concept at all.

This is despite the fact that most technology projects are deployed with the aim of making life in cities better – cleaner, greener, less congested and more prepared for the shocks and stresses that they increasingly face. Many succeed or offer great potential but others, such as Sidewalk Labs’ now-abandoned smart city project in Toronto and San Diego’s deactivated smart streetlights, serve as cautionary tales.

To rectify...