Rethinking citizen engagement in sustainable cities
with Leika Aruga
We look at citizen co-production, where citizens are involved in shaping their cities. While often seen as positive, Leika Aruga (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway) argues that simply involving citizens does not guarantee better outcomes. This episode explores two examples in Norway to highlight the challenges posed by limited participation, limited knowledge, and limited transparency.
Episode based on the article
“The Citizen” as a Ghost Subject in Co-Producing Smart Sustainable Cities: An Intersectional Approach
By Leika Aruga, Hilde Refstie, and Hilde Nymoen Rørtveit
About the Speaker
Leika Aruga is a PhD candidate at the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture and a member of the Centre for Gender Research and the Centre for Technology and Society at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Her PhD project uses intersectionality to critically examine inclusionary and exclusionary dynamics of citizen participation in physical and digital spaces in the context of urban development. Her PhD project is carried out under SustainDiT, a project in the Interdisciplinary Sustainable Initiatives at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.