Page 18 - U4SSC: City Science Application Framework

and problems. This is an alternative approach to city science innovation and related stakeholders
can be engaged in a systematic manner such as participating in a city science hackathon,
challenge, etc.

xii. Awards: City science related awards can be used as an incentive to recognize city science related
innovative products, services, or outstanding individuals. Awards can encourage creativity and
innovation in city science.

xiii. “City as a Lab”: An urban environment can theoretically be thought of as a laboratory, in the
context of which city science solutions can be developed and implemented. Cities today create
and collect enormous amounts of data while providing various functions and services for their
inhabitants and constituents. Hence, the readily available actual city data can be processed
and used for innovation; which practically can be considered as turning the city into a lab. City
science solutions can be tested in real urban environments (akin to lab testing) and successful
ones can be deployed to address real urban problems. Hence, some cities depict themselves
as labs or open labs for innovation. Such an approach can incentivize city science solutions and
applications.

xiv. Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) for addressing urban problems: Public private partnerships
can be utilized to complement city public and private sector’s skills and assets in implementing
city science solutions (e.g. Google Sidewalk Labs in Toronto, Smart Dubai Platform ). PPP
16
enables partners to align and unify their goals and share risks and rewards for city science
implementations. They can also complement each other’s skills and resources for city science.
Building a PPP based partnership is a relatively novel capability compared to traditional public
procurement. It requires a sound understanding and modelling of risks and rewards. Public
and private sector organizations’ missions and raison d’etre tend to differ. Unifying a common
city science vision and mission for partners is quite critical. A one size fits all framework does
not exist for PPPs since they tend to vary in terms of arrangements based on city science
implementation project (e.g. short-to-medium term management contracts, outsourcing
arrangements, Build-Operate-Transfer arrangements, joint ventures, etc.). The degree of
ownership of assets and expenditures by partners also varies significantly depending on type of
PPP. Hence, it is important to agree on a viable PPP model early on by partners and to address
issues around it. On the other hand, PPPs provide significant advantages by bringing together
the best of two worlds (Public and Private sector) with each contributing significantly to the
partnership in city science. Innovative city science ideas can be jointly developed by partners by
sharing the investments, revenues, and risks.

xv. Global data standards and data standardization: City science solutions utilize city data
extensively. Hence data standards can increase the efficiency of city science implementations,
expedite solutions, and enable cost savings by capitalizing on them. City science solutions can
leverage existing data standards for data definitions, data processing, data exchanges and data
interoperability where deemed feasible and available. Data standards can provide a common
language and common framework(s) for data processing and management in city science
solutions.
xvi. Open source city science applications: City science practitioners, volunteers and enthusiasts can
provide open source city science applications (software and/or algorithms) on a non-commercial
basis. These open source applications will be freely available to all interested cities and city

10 City Science Application Framework