Smart cities and cumulative effects on fundamental rights
Smart cities are rarely built smart from scratch. For most cities, “smart city” signifies the presence of several smart city projects that emerge over time from various actors. These projects rely on extensive data and algorithms whose use in urban spaces and/or decision-making processes can impact...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society
2023-03-01
|
| Series: | Internet Policy Review |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://policyreview.info/node/1701 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850233812319993856 |
|---|---|
| author | Athena Christofi |
| author_facet | Athena Christofi |
| author_sort | Athena Christofi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Smart cities are rarely built smart from scratch. For most cities, “smart city” signifies the presence of several smart city projects that emerge over time from various actors. These projects rely on extensive data and algorithms whose use in urban spaces and/or decision-making processes can impact the enjoyment of fundamental rights in cities. Spatially-grounded and socio-economic rights may be particularly affected. This paper explores the issue of cumulative effects on fundamental rights that may arise from the gradual accumulation of smart city projects in modern cities. It argues that in such a complex landscape of multiple actors, projects and rights, important fundamental rights impacts may be incremental and inconspicuous, and thus, difficult to detect and to stop. It advocates for a fundamental rights-oriented impact assessment process that would enable local authorities to understand and mitigate cumulative effects on fundamental rights. Drawing from the environmental law area and the examples of Cumulative Effects Assessments and Strategic Environmental Assessments therein, it provides concrete recommendations for smart city stakeholders on the essential elements needed for such a process. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c9fac23b13a84d0fa772542a984b2b31 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2197-6775 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Internet Policy Review |
| spelling | doaj-art-c9fac23b13a84d0fa772542a984b2b312025-08-20T02:02:50ZengAlexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and SocietyInternet Policy Review2197-67752023-03-0112110.14763/2023.1.1701Smart cities and cumulative effects on fundamental rights Athena Christofi0KU LeuvenSmart cities are rarely built smart from scratch. For most cities, “smart city” signifies the presence of several smart city projects that emerge over time from various actors. These projects rely on extensive data and algorithms whose use in urban spaces and/or decision-making processes can impact the enjoyment of fundamental rights in cities. Spatially-grounded and socio-economic rights may be particularly affected. This paper explores the issue of cumulative effects on fundamental rights that may arise from the gradual accumulation of smart city projects in modern cities. It argues that in such a complex landscape of multiple actors, projects and rights, important fundamental rights impacts may be incremental and inconspicuous, and thus, difficult to detect and to stop. It advocates for a fundamental rights-oriented impact assessment process that would enable local authorities to understand and mitigate cumulative effects on fundamental rights. Drawing from the environmental law area and the examples of Cumulative Effects Assessments and Strategic Environmental Assessments therein, it provides concrete recommendations for smart city stakeholders on the essential elements needed for such a process.https://policyreview.info/node/1701Smart citiesFundamental rightsHuman rightsImpact assessmentCumulative effects |
| spellingShingle | Athena Christofi Smart cities and cumulative effects on fundamental rights Internet Policy Review Smart cities Fundamental rights Human rights Impact assessment Cumulative effects |
| title | Smart cities and cumulative effects on fundamental rights |
| title_full | Smart cities and cumulative effects on fundamental rights |
| title_fullStr | Smart cities and cumulative effects on fundamental rights |
| title_full_unstemmed | Smart cities and cumulative effects on fundamental rights |
| title_short | Smart cities and cumulative effects on fundamental rights |
| title_sort | smart cities and cumulative effects on fundamental rights |
| topic | Smart cities Fundamental rights Human rights Impact assessment Cumulative effects |
| url | https://policyreview.info/node/1701 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT athenachristofi smartcitiesandcumulativeeffectsonfundamentalrights |