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This newly published article on the Journal of Urban Technology addresses the challenge of scaling up smart city pilot projects throughout the city, after initial testing and success. The authors of the article are Willem van Winden and Daniel van den Buuse. According to the abstract, ‘In many cities, pilot projects are set up to test new technologies that help to address urban sustainability issues, improve the effectiveness of urban services, and enhance the quality of life of citizens. These projects, often labelled as “smart
city’ projects, are typically supported by municipalities, funded by subsidies, and run in partnerships. Many of the projects fade out after the pilot stage, and fail to generate scalable solutions that contribute to sustainable urban development. The lack of scaling is widely perceived as a major problem. In this paper, we analyze processes of upscaling, focusing on smart city pilot projects in which several partners’”with different missions, agendas, and incentives’”join up. We start with a literature review, in which we identify three types of upscaling: roll-out, expansion, and replication, each with its own dynamics and degree of context sensitivity. The typology is further specified in relation to several conditions and requirements that can impact upscaling processes, and illustrated by a descriptive analysis of three smart city pilot projects developed in Amsterdam. The paper ends with conclusions and recommendations on pilot projects and partnership governance, and adds new perspectives on the debate regarding upscaling’.
Access the article here.