3 - Digital Society

Digital society is pervasive in all aspects of our lives. If a digital society is mostly shaped by the interaction between the tech/digital industry and citizens/consumers, cities can be formidable enablers of a just and informed digital society. In urban contexts, promoting digital society means making it accessible and reducing the digital gap: digital society is made with, for and by citizens. Day in, day out, local administrations support communities to become more cohesive and inclusive, using open and accessible digital platforms and solutions and ensuring fair access to digital public services. Through use and awareness of key technologies they can provide the context for society’s physical and mental well-being and foster equality and inclusion, especially for the most vulnerable groups.  

Building on the Digital governance module, we provide some general approaches, with concepts such as “tech4good” and “human-centric” (or people-centric) cities that can play the role of local administrations in the intersection between tech/digital and urban practitioners, administrators and residents.

The introductory video explains how cities can promote a just and inclusive digital society and empower the digital community, by providing accessible public services and fostering active citizenship through engagement in urban topics and development. 

We move on to consider digital inclusion and how cities can bridge the digital tech divide for the most vulnerable in times of ageing populations, poverty, exclusion, migration and with a diversity, equity and inclusion perspective. 

Health, safety and security, housing, socialising and others can also be supported by tech-powered solutions. And cities can  facilitate all of this  by collaborating  with tech hubs, public and private sectoral agencies and companies, civil society organisations and citizens’ groups. 

We end the overview by touching upon the concept of educational cities, places where cities offer opportunities to access digital/tech knowledge and develop tech and digital skills in formal and non-formal settings, in collaboration with the educational community.

Additional information is provided in the Cities Use Cases resource, which provides more detailed examples of how cities are working with stakeholders and citizens to provide services and collaborate in the tech4good space. Two city case studies and interviews from URBACT networks complete the overview.

Finally, we provide an activity that you can do in your city: a mapping exercise that can help you reflect on and identify the urban context and tech potential/stakeholders to activate in order to foster an inclusive and people-centred digital society.  

The module, like the 5 others, is addressed to city practitioners and decision makers but also to the wider urban community including private stakeholders. It will help to highlight social issues and inequalities that can be addressed and overcome by developing integrated urban policies for digital citizenship that leaves no one behind.

Upon completion of this module participants should be able to:

• Relate to the different dimensions of digital society and how urban practitioners and decision makers can promote  just, inclusive access to tech/digital driven services
• Distinguish and compare the way cities collaborate with different stakeholders and create the environment for equitable and inclusive quality of life and wellbeing in society.
• Adapt and transfer ideas from city practice that are relevant to their context to develop basic urban action or transfer planning and implementation.