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Short abstract:

This presentation explores what opportunities and challenges can be found when the public plans citizen science projects. This will be done by looking at how the City of Aarhus creates citizen science-driven interventions in Aarhus, Denmark through Actor-Network Theory and Situational Analysis.

Long abstract:

This presentation explores what challenges, limitations and opportunities can be found within the complex ecosystem of a smart city when the public plans citizen science projects. This will be done by looking at how the City of Aarhus creates citizen science-driven interventions in Aarhus, Denmark, focused on solving environmental problems through the participation of its citizens. The interventions will be studied with Actor-Network Theory and Situational Analysis.

I describe Aarhus’ two interventions in the Horizon 2020 EU project DivAirCity. Focusing on air quality and diversity, the project seeks to improve environmental, health and social conditions in cities by prioritising participation of the groups deemed most at risk. The two interventions are focused on 1) creating an alternative route with better air quality for wheelchair users, and 2) making an inclusive green screen and pocket park together with locals.

I touch upon my methodological approaches, such as Actor-Network Theory (Law, 1992; Callon, 1986) and Situational Analysis (Clarke et al., 2022), and I also explain the ethnographic methods used for my case study, such as interviews and participatory observations (Tracy, 2013; Charmaz, 2007).

I then explain my findings, discussing how collaboration functions between the public and its citizens in this particular Danish case, and what opportunities and obstacles occur when a public organisation makes use of citizen science. I explore how the City of Aarhus views citizen science versus how the citizens view themselves in such a role, and what possible frictions may occur between these two views.