Smarter Participation: Co-Governance Protocol Using Urban Digital Twin and Design Thinking

Source abstract

This article presents the Smart Participation Protocol (SPP), a socio-technical methodology designed to support participatory urban governance by integrating design thinking with Social Urban Digital Twin (SUDT) technologies. Developed through action research in Hadar, a historically aging and socioeconomically challenged neighborhood in Haifa, Israel, the SPP addresses the urgent need to align smart city tools with social and welfare priorities in vulnerable urban settings.The protocol unfolds through five milestones, aligned with the phases of design thinking, and involves immersive, collaborative engagement with local stakeholders. The SUDT component integrates spatialized data from municipalities, civil society, and residents, enabling shared analysis of complex urban conditions. This article focuses on two key insights from the reflexive phase of the study. First, it unpacks the power dynamics and negotiations of authority that surfaced during the formation of the cross-sectoral partnership. Second, it examines how participants’ initial resistance to unfamiliar technologies evolved into meaningful engagement as they recognized the embedded social-scientific logics behind the tools.These findings demonstrate the transformative potential of digital technologies when embedded in co-creative, place-based urban policymaking. The SPP offers a model for grounding smart city innovation in local knowledge and inclusive governance, particularly in underrepresented urban contexts.