From the Vertical to the Transversal, knowledge must flow
In recent years, technology has established itself as one of the most powerful verticals in our cities and societies. Like mobility or energy, technology is now a major force that defines how we live, move, and interact. But while many still see it as a tool in the hands of the few, there is an urgent need to ask ourselves: Is technology a tool that improves the quality of life and the environment of our citizens or, on the contrary, is it becoming a disarticulating consumption that affects identity and social cohesion?
Technology as a smart city vertical
In my professional practice, I have thought a lot about the concept of city verticals. These verticals organize urban life: sustainability, mobility, energy, and resilience, among others, and technology plays a prominent role. In smart cities, technology acts as an infrastructure that connects services optimizes processes, and makes life easier for its inhabitants. It is essential to analyze whether the technological solutions we want to implement really meet the needs of the people who live in our cities. Technology must be an asset that strengthens social cohesion and improves collective well-being, avoiding the fragmentation of identity and community environment.
One possible solution is to mainstream technological knowledge, promoting an inclusive approach that encourages community participation and empowerment.
Co-creation as a path to transversality
In this context, technology co-creation and citizen science emerge as necessary pathways for mainstreaming knowledge and access to technology. By allowing communities to actively participate in the design and development of technologies, we create a space where knowledge flows in a bidirectional way, nourished by local needs and experiences. Rather than generalised technological solutions, co-creation allows these tools to be designed with those who know their environment and problems best. This approach not only democratises access to technology but also creates solutions that are more sustainable and adapted to local realities. In other words, technology is created with residents, for residents.
Image 2. La Tavola Celeste – CultourData Project – SME
This project focuses on technological accessibility through the use of Arduino, a free hardware platform. The initiative aims to empower the Anzi community by co-designing technological solutions that facilitate the dissemination of scientific knowledge from the Osservatorio Astronomico Anzi Planetarium. Through “La Tavola Celeste”, a co-participatory methodology, the collaboration between residents and technology experts is encouraged, promoting mutual learning and the development of tools that make science more accessible and understandable to all.
Technology, although a key vertical for development, must be transformed into a transversal, accessible and regulated knowledge for the common good.
Case Study: Bottom-Up Maquita Project
The Bottom-Up Maquita project is a clear example of how technology co-creation and citizen science can mainstream knowledge and make technology accessible to rural communities. In collaboration with Novamanto, this project developed Community-Based Monitoring (CBM) tools that not only allowed local communities to collect environmental data, but also to actively participate in decision-making and the design of solutions adapted to their needs.
Image 3. By Novamanto
- Co-creation and Citizen Science in Action
In this context, Bottom-Up Maquita applied a co-creation approach, in which rural communities were involved from diagnosis to implementation and validation of the technological tools. Through participatory mapping workshops, transect walks, and group sessions, farmers in Quevedo and Buena Fe identified critical problems in their territories, such as water pollution and soil degradation. These local inputs formed the basis for designing moisture monitoring sensors and water quality assessment systems that reflect the specific realities and needs of the environment.
- Bi-directional knowledge adapted to the local context
The Bottom-Up Maquita project demonstrates how technological co-creation allows solutions not to flow unilaterally from external actors, but to draw on local experience and knowledge. Citizen science, through digital forms and accessible monitoring tools, allowed farmers to document their observations and set alert thresholds based on the context of their area. This dynamic ensures that the tools are culturally relevant and technically practical for users.
- Results and community empowerment
The impact of the Bottom-Up Maquita project goes beyond environmental monitoring. The training of local leaders, the creation of a sustainability plan, and the establishment of partnerships with NGOs and governments ensure that the community not only has the tools to manage its resources but also the capacity to adapt and manage them autonomously in the long term. This process of co-creation not only democratizes access to technology but also generates sustainable solutions designed with and for local people, strengthening social cohesion and empowerment.
This case study reinforces Novamanto’s vision that technology can and should be a transversal, accessible, and relevant good for those who live in the territory.
💡🔗🏘️Let us bring our skills and perspectives to build a bridge between innovation and the community, where technological knowledge flows horizontally and becomes a truly shared resource. ➡️🌐
Related Post
- https://www.sassilive.it/economia/lavoro/materahub-e-basilicata-creativa-presentano-incontro-dati-turistici-innovazione-del-progetto-cultourdata-report-e-foto/
- https://www.trmtv.it/attualita/2024_01_18/410715.html
Source Banner Image : Novamanto