Amsterdam Smart City

Learn more about the 15 types of data needed for the digitalization of the mobility sector, and the challenges involved

In 2018, the national government made an agreement to contribute to the digitalization of the mobility sector, thereby supporting the sustainability and the mobility transitions. The target is to have 90% of the public data structurally in order by 2023 and to be able to offer it as open data. In this process, a “Data Top 15” were identified – that is 15 types of data that are needed to further digitize Dutch infrastructure, including parking data, logistics data, and bicycle data.

But collecting and managing these 15 data items is a time-consuming and onerous process which exposes many “data dilemmas”. During this session, we will dive into some of these dilemmas and lessons learned from the development of Data Top 15 in the Amsterdam Region. What barriers have already been overcome, and what is the roadmap for the upcoming years?

Agenda
15:15 – 15:30 Walk-in
15:30 – 15:40 Welcome and introduction by Amsterdam Smart City
15:40 – 16:00 Data Top 15 approach and lessons learned by Tijmen van Heukelingen (municipality of Amsterdam/Regionaal Data Team)
16:00 – 16:10 Reflection by Indranil Bhattacharya (Co-founder and Digital Society Director at Townmaking Institute)
16:10 – 16:30 Feedback and discussion
16:30 – 17:00 Wrap-up and networking drinks

About the Data Dilemma series
Data Dilemmas is a collaboration between Amsterdam Smart City and the City of Amsterdam’s Data Lab. Three times a year we explore the possibilities for using data and new technologies to address urban and societal challenges, with a focus on responsible digitalization. The goal is to use data to make cities more safe, clean and accessible. But what happens to all the data that is collected? Which dilemmas do we encounter when we collect (personal) data to improve the city? These questions are important for everyone: governments, knowledge institutions, companies, and civil society. Amsterdam Smart City would like to explore with you which decisions are needed for responsible use of data.

Location
This Data Dilemma's event will take place at Pakhuis de Zwijger, Amsterdam.

Op dinsdag 16 mei organiseert Amsterdam Smart City een Demodag rondom onze vier transitiethema’s: energie, circulair, mobiliteit en digitaal. Er staan weer veel mooie initiatieven en vraagstukken op het programma die we met ons netwerk gaan verdiepen en verrijken. De Demodag vindt plaats bij A Lab. De thuisbasis voor een community van maatschappelijk betrokken organisaties, waaronder onze partner Cenex.

Demodagen zijn onderdeel van ons innovatieproces en bedoeld om de voortgang van verschillende innovatieprojecten te stimuleren, hulpvragen op tafel te leggen, dilemma's te delen en anderen te betrekken bij projecten of uitdagingen. Dit gebeurt in de vorm van zogenaamde ‘pitches’, met een korte hulpvraag aan de hele groep, en in werksessies waarin we een aantal vragen met een kleine groep wat grondiger behandelen. Meer informatie over wat de demodagen precies zijn en waarom je mee wilt doen, vind je hier.

Klinkt het programma interessant? Je bent welkom om aan te sluiten. Laat het ons weten in de comments of mail naar info@amsterdamsmartcity.com. De Demodag is van 14:00-16:30 met een borrel na afloop.

PITCHES

Samen werken aan een groener en gezonder Nederland – Pientere Tuinen
Pientere Tuinen heeft tot doel een groenere, gezondere leefomgeving te creëren door het bewustzijn en de motivatie bij tuinbezitters te vergroten. Pientere Tuinen is een 3-jarig project waarin 7 partijen samenwerken. De unieke aanpak van Pientere Tuinen draait om drie samenhangende onderdelen: 1) Er wordt data verzameld met een slimme sensor, 2) er wordt kwantitatief en kwalitatief onderzoek gedaan naar strategieën voor een gezonde, groene leefomgeving en blijvende gedragsverandering, en 3) er wordt advies op maat gegeven aan bewoners over de inrichting en het beheer van hun tuin en te komen (obv de data en onderzoeken). Pientere Tuinen combineert technologie/data, participatie en sociale innovatie.

PublicSpaces Conferentie – PublicSpaces
Hoe bouwen we aan een internet dat werkt voor iedereen? Een online ruimte die onze gezondheid, vrijheid en bestaansmiddelen dient en niet in de houdgreep is van Big Tech? Op 27 en 28 juni organiseren PublicSpaces en Waag Futurelab de PublicSpaces conferentie met als thema: een collectief internet. In deze pitch vertellen ze meer over het inspirerende programma vol panels, keynotes, kunst, geestverruimende cultuur en meer!

Innovatie Paviljoen Marineterrein – Gemeente Amsterdam
In het toekomstige Innovatie Paviljoen op het Marineterrein gaan verschillende pilots voor duurzame innovaties plaatsvinden. Zo worden pionierende MKB’ers ondersteund en onderzoekt de gemeente welke verandering in werkwijzen en culturen er nodig is om deze innovaties op grotere schaal door te kunnen voeren. Marlies Veld neemt jullie in haar pitch mee in de plannen voor het paviljoen.

Worden alle tankstations straks laadstations? – Over Morgen
Over Morgen ontwikkelt momenteel een ‘Tankstation Transitie Plan’. In een korte maar prikkelende pitch vertellen ze meer over dit project en de vraag; worden alle tankstations straks laadstations? Want zijn traditionele stations nog wel relevant als we in de toekomst op elke hoek van de straat kunnen laden? Hoe kan de locatie de transitie naar duurzaam transport versnellen? En hoe ziet het laadstation van de toekomst er precies uit?

WERKSESSIES

Digitaal | ChatGPT en de overheid: mogelijkheden en impact op ons werk – Jeroen Silvis en Martijn Veerman, Provincie Noord-Holland
Zorgt de techniek van ChatGPT voor een revolutie in de manier waarop we werken en samenleven? Hoe zouden overheden, zoals de provincie Noord-Holland, hiermee om moeten gaan? Wat is de impact als de techniek achter ChatGPT zich doorontwikkeld en steeds prominenter wordt gebruikt, buiten en binnen de eigen organisatie? Is het een efficiënte manier om met burgers te communiceren, beleidstukken te schrijven, of statenvragen te beantwoorden? Of zouden we onze vingers er helemaal niet aan moeten branden? Tijdens deze Demodag zullen we dieper ingaan op de mogelijkheden en potentiële impact van ChatGPT op het werk van overheden. We bespreken niet alleen de technologie zelf, maar met name ook de ethische aspecten die hierbij komen kijken. Hoe kunnen ambtenaren meegenomen in het verantwoord gebruik van deze technologie?

Energie | (English session) Local smart energy systems and P2P trading governed by citizen’s energy communities; moving from research and innovation projects to replication and upscaling – Danijela Šijačić en Mark van Wees, HvA
To mitigate climate changes and reduce CO2 emissions and in accordance with different European initiatives like renewable energy directive (RED), Clean Energy Package, and climate-neutral and smart cities mission, transition of energy system to a more sustainable and decentralized one is needed. In Amsterdam, the Buiksloterham demonstration project from ATELIER is paving the way for this transition. It is an innovation R&D project where local smart energy system and P2P trading governed by citizen’s energy coop is implemented. The ambition from ATELIER/HvA is to research how to upscale and replicate that Positive Energy District (PED). HvA invites the Amsterdam Smart City network to help prepare this upscaling (in Amsterdam) by discussing the technical, economic and social perspectives

Mobiliteit | (English session) Urban Air Mobility: order in the airspace & opportunities for an inclusive mobility system – Kerry Rohrmeier (San Jose University) in collaboration with Amsterdam Smart City partners
For this worksession, our international guest Kerry Rohrmeier will discuss the future of Urban Air Mobility with the Amsterdam Smart City network. Together with some of our partners Kerry will discuss this futuristic concept and its considerations. The group will dive into matters like maintaining order in the airspace among times of areal innovations, and how urban air mobility could contribute to a more inclusive mobility system.

Circulair | Plastic: We’re loving it! Van plasticverslaving naar trendbreuk – Marten Boels, MRA
De wereldwijde hoeveelheid plastic is sinds 2000 verdubbeld. We are loving it! Het is tegelijk ook echt een probleem van onze generatie. Daarvoor kunnen we niemand de schuld geven, maar onszelf. En steeds meer bewijs wijst op de gevaren van microplastics: in het milieu, in dieren en ook in onszelf. Het is kortom hoog tijd voor een trendbreuk in het plasticgebruik. Doel van de sessie is om kennis uit te wisselen en over oplossingsrichtingen te sparren. De partners in de Metropoolregio Amsterdam (MRA) komen graag te spreken over oplossingsrichtingen.

SOLICITEREN NIET MEER MOGELIJK

Weet jij als geen ander mensen te verbinden en te inspireren? Wil jij bijdragen aan het versnellen van de transities op het gebied van mobiliteit, energie, circulaire economie en digitalisering? Kom dan het Amsterdam Smart City team versterken.

Voor ons kernteam (bestaande uit 7 mensen) zijn wij per direct op zoek naar een nieuw teamlid: Verbindende Programmamanager Energie & Circulair (32 uur per week).

Wie zijn wij?

Amsterdam Smart City is een onafhankelijk innovatieplatform dat innovatieve bedrijven, kennisinstellingen, maatschappelijke organisaties en overheden samenbrengt en de stad van de toekomst vormgeeft.

Dit doen wij met een netwerk van 26 partners die werken aan een betere, duurzame en toekomstbestendige wereld. Daarnaast hebben we een internationale community van duizenden pioniers en innovatie professionals die elkaar op de verschillende thema’s ontmoeten en verder helpen. Door al deze partijen te verbinden, en met hen het gesprek te voeren over de grote uitdagingen in onze regio, komen we tot innovatieve oplossingen die bijdragen aan betere straten, buurten en steden.

Wij zijn ervan overtuigd dat de veranderingen die nodig zijn voor de vooruitgang van de stad en regio alleen gerealiseerd kunnen worden door samen te werken. Onze activiteiten zijn daarom gericht op het faciliteren van deze samenwerking, zodat partijen samen tastbare en duurzame innovaties tot stand kunnen brengen. Amsterdam Smart City richt zich met name op vier transitieopgaves: mobiliteit, de digitale stad, energie en circulaire economie.

Amsterdam Smart City is onderdeel van Amsterdam Economic Board. Hét netwerk van organisaties met wie je samenwerkt aan de Metropool van Morgen.

Wat ga je doen?

Binnen het Amsterdam Smart City netwerk krijg jij een glansrol in het realiseren van innovatie samenwerkingen. Dit doe je zowel als verbinder als aanjager. Als verbinder breng je onze diverse partners samen op verschillende onderwerpen binnen de thema’s Energie en Circulair. Je haalt op wat er speelt en vertaald de behoeften, knelpunten, lopende initiatieven en potentiële oplossingen tot een gezamenlijk en gedragen vraagstuk.

Vervolgens help jij als aanjager de partners verder om hier samen mee aan de slag te gaan. Je organiseert verschillende soorten bijeenkomsten met onze partners, en mogelijk andere partijen. Deze bijeenkomsten stellen hen in staat om het vraagstuk stapsgewijs op te lossen. Jij ondersteunt het proces, mede vanuit je inhoudelijke kennis, zodanig dat de samenwerking daadwerkelijk tot concrete gezamenlijke resultaten leidt. Denk hierbij aan een innovatieve pilot, een onderzoek, een participatie traject of een reeks kennisbijeenkomsten waar de partners vervolgens mee verder gaan.

Taken

Als programmamanager bij Amsterdam Smart City werk je in een klein team van enthousiaste en gedreven professionals. Binnen dit team pak je verschillende werkzaamheden op en schakel je tussen verschillende niveaus van strategisch tot operationeel. We werken nauw met elkaar samen en ondersteunen elkaar daar waar mogelijk. Belangrijkste taken voor deze functie:

• Je onderhoudt en bouwt een netwerk van partners binnen de thema’s energie en circulaire economie;
• Je verbindt, mobiliseert en activeert partners, communityleden en andere relevante stakeholders. Soms ook internationaal;
• Je organiseert co-creatie sessies, workshops, en andere fysieke en online events die de partners in staat stellen om op complexe vraagstukken samen te werken;
• Je draagt actief bij aan onze communicatiedoelstellingen o.a. door het schrijven van artikelen voor de community site;
• Je helpt bij de doorontwikkeling van onze innovatie-instrumenten en -processen om tot samenwerking te komen;
• Je maakt een plan om onze resultaten beter te meten en zichtbaar te maken.

Wie ben jij?

Wij zoeken een collega met een nieuwsgierige, onderzoekende instelling die anderen aanzet tot nadenken en actie. Gedreven in het creëren van maatschappelijke waarde met een echte aanpakkers mentaliteit. Iemand die in staat is de ideeën, kennis en ervaring van individuele partijen samen te brengen tot een geheel waar men gezamenlijk op voort kan bouwen. En die het leuk vindt om daarover te communiceren.

Profiel

• Je hebt een opleiding in of ervaring binnen tenminste een van de thema’s of binnen stedelijke innovatie in algemene zin;
• Je hebt kennis van samenwerkingsprocessen en innovatiemethodieken;
• Je hebt ervaring met het organiseren en programmeren van bijeenkomsten en/of werksessies;
• Je bent een enthousiaste, open en bevlogen gesprekspartner;
• Je hebt een uitstekende beheersing van de Nederlandse en Engelse taal in woord en geschrift;
• Je hebt enkele jaren werkervaring;
• Je hebt een WO/HBO werk- en denkniveau;
• Een netwerk binnen ons werkveld is een pre!

Wat bieden wij?

Wij bieden je een fijne werkplek op het Marineterrein in Amsterdam, met een informele en collegiale sfeer. We zijn een klein team waar we nauw met elkaar samenwerken.

Je wordt deel van een enorm divers en dynamisch netwerk bestaande uit koplopers en pioniers op het gebied van stedelijke innovatie binnen diverse toonaangevende organisaties in de Metropoolregio Amsterdam. Je krijgt een kijkje in de keuken bij talloze duurzame en innovatieve initiatieven en programma’s.

Daarnaast bieden wij:

• Een functie per direct voor 32 uur per week;
• Een halfjaarcontract met uitzicht op verlenging;
• Salarisindicatie: max € 4.500 bruto per maand (o.b.v. 40 uur); aangevuld met vakantie- en eindejaartoeslag, een laptop, thuiswerk mogelijkheid, fietskilometers- en telefoonvergoeding.

Interesse gewekt?

Ben je enthousiast? Dan horen we graag van je! Stuur je cv en een korte motivatie voor 8 mei naar: info@amsterdamsmartcity.com. De gesprekken vinden plaats op 10 en 12 mei. Voor meer informatie over de functie kun je contact opnemen met Patricia via patricia@amsterdamsmartcity.com of 06-55343154. Hopelijk spreken we elkaar snel!

The first Demoday of the year was a great success! A lot of familiar and new faces gathered at DB55 for an afternoon full of inspiration, exchange and connection with each other. In this article, we give you a quick overview of the Impact Workshop, pitches and worksessions. Interesting in learning more? Read the full reports by our Programme Managers Sophie, Jessica and Pelle (linked below).

About our Demodays

The Demodays are one of the tools we use to stimulate innovation and encourage connection between our partners and community. The purpose of the Demodays is to present the progress of various innovation projects, ask for help, share dilemmas and involve more partners to take these projects to the next level. More information about the Demodays can be found here.

Impact Workshop

We started the Demoday with a workshop about ‘Measuring the impact of our network’. At the start of our new programme period, our partners have expressed their wishes to make the impact of our organisation, events and projects more measurable so that we can share and learn from each other. Our colleague Antonio Carretero from the Amsterdam Economic Board has developed an impact framework with four impact lenses that can help managing change in a different way. Read all about it here.

Pitches

After the Impact Workshop, we continued with four inspiring pitches. Susan van Esch and Bas Schilder (phbm) added a useful instrument to our toolbox for Smart City projects: the “bewustwordingsmatrix” (the awareness matrix), Bas Ruis told us more about the FIXbrigade and their plans for the future, Yanti Slaats (Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences) gave us an update about CIRCOLLAB and Mariana Garcia E. (World Benchmarking Alliance) pitched the Urban Benchmark Methodology which is currently in development.

Worksessions

Digital | CommuniCity project, by Neeltje Pavicic (municipality of Amsterdam)
Through the CommuniCity project, the municipality of Amsterdam is looking for a structural process for matching the needs of vulnerable communities to solutions of tech providers. In this worksession, the network discussed the current bottlenecks for developing tech for vulnerable communities and potential next steps. Curious about the outcomes? Read the full report by Programme Manager (Digital) Sophie here.

Mobility | Mobility as a Commons, by Job Pék (municipality of Amsterdam)
Cooperative shared mobility or Mobility as a Commons (MaaC), in which vehicles are managed and owned by a group of local owners, can offer opportunities for residents and the city. At the Demoday, Jop Pek and Diederik Basta explained more about Mobility as a commons, and reflected together with participants. Read more in the report by Programme Manager (Mobility) Pelle here.

Energy | 15% GasTerug initiative, by Laetitia Stuit (Amsterdam Economic Board)
The action network 15%GasTerug has been working hard to achieve the goal of 15% gas usage reduction since the war in Ukraine broke out. They reached this goal in January this year and asked the Amsterdam Smart City to help make the impact more visible to the public in this worksession. In the session, led by Remco Marinus from Havas Lemz, the participants brainstormed about possible newspaper headlines on 15%GasTerug. Want to know what they came up with? Read the full report by Programma Manager (Energy & Circularity) Jessica here.

The next Demoday is on Thursday the 16th of May. Do you have an inspiring story or project you want to pitch to the Amsterdam Smart City network? Let us know via sophie@amsterdamsmartcity.com.

In the coming decades, urban population growth and a rising demand for mobility options will cause strain on our public spaces. The city of Amsterdam will counteract this trend by making private car ownership less attractive for its citizens, while making sure there are enough, well facilitated, alternative modes of transport. One could  think of investments in (more) public transport, and the welcoming of shared mobility providers. Currently, some market players are making use of the latter and sharing cars and sharing mopeds are becoming part of the streetscape. Is this enough?   
 
Mobility as a Commons
On the 23th of March, Diederik Basta and Jop Pék from the municipality of Amsterdam’s innovation department, hosted a working session on the concept of; Mobility as a Commons (MaaC). They introduced this concept by pointing out that currently, we’re not ‘sharing’ our modes of transport but we’re just ‘renting’ them from private companies. This raises a couple of concerns; these parties exist purely to maximize profits, they own and sell user data, their fleet of vehicles is not spread evenly throughout the city, and because it’s only available for those who can afford the service, it’s not inclusive for all.

The municipality is now exploring how to move away from these market mechanisms and facilitate car sharing solutions based in local ownership. This summer, they’ll experiment with pilots in which modes of transport are perceived as a ‘Commons’ and cooperatively owned and used by a group of local residents. Their goal is to gather insights on how to facilitate this form of locally organized mobility in the best way possible and pave the way for emerging initiatives.
 
Paradigm shifts
For this new alternative to succeed, drastic innovation is needed in which public authorities identify and alter their role. That’s why Diederik and Jop are also turning inwards and critically reflecting on the current premises from which they’re acting. Only then, you’ll be able to innovate in a way that you’re breaking free from your current paradigm and its effects. Because they are of such importance, I would like to quickly summarize the three relevant premises:

1. People act out of self-interest; we assume mistrust. People need control and governance to reinforce the common good. Its effects: A government mistrusting its citizens and legal sealing of documents and procedures.
2. The municipality owns public space. Public space should be designed and managed by experts to ensure quality, consistency and efficiency of functionalities. Its effects: Struggles with public participation and a focus on efficiency and functionality, instead of social interaction.
3. The municipality is responsible for a well-functioning mobility system. Public space makes way, and more urban mobility makes people richer and happier. Its effects: Private parties push the mobility system and the government facilitates this, and traveling for work and other (social) activities is the norm.

 
Reactions from the participants
Next to inspiring the working session participants, Diederik and Job wanted to ignite an active conversation with the diverse group in front of them. They wanted to show the parties at the table how important it is to realise from what kind of premises and paradigm you’re currently ‘innovating’, but they were also curious what others thought of their upcoming project.
 
A big theme during the discussion was the fact that this ‘commons’ thinking is finding its way within different themes like the energy- and data transition. Energy cooperatives are emerging at a fast rate and this topic is receiving a lot of research and attention from energy companies at the moment. The same goes for cooperative ownership and use of data, as an alternative to protection and the commercial use of data. The different domains should be actively learning from each other, as learnings should be easily transferable. Furthermore, the group discussed the painful dilemma of the innovation department of the municipality. Their critical stance against their own policies is remarkable, but they need to find a balance where the pilot and its results will be refreshing and creative, as well as applicable in current policies as soon as possible. Finally, the group advised the presenters  to; pay special attention to groups of citizens who have less time and resources available to organize themselves, write down in detail all administrative rules and obstructions that counteract these initiatives, and to not forget the power of private parties altogether; with a clear problem definition, they are able to organise and act at a fast rate.
 
What’s next?
In the coming months, the project’s final preparations and consideration will be implemented. Through the Horizon 2020 (GEMINI) project, The municipality of Amsterdam will cooperate with parties like Townmaking, Smart Innovation Norway, and our partner Cenex Nederland. Together they will guide and research local initiatives within Amsterdam (e.g. de Pijp, Tuindorp Oostzaan, Spaarndammerbuurt), activate a so called ‘Experimenteerregeling’ and create a plug and play system for future local initiatives. Diederik and Jop will incorporate the comments and discussions from this working session, and we’ll make sure to have them share their first learnings with the Amsterdam Smart City network later in 2023.
 
Do you want to know more about this topic, or would you like to get in contact with Diederik Basta or Jop Pék? You can contact me via pelle@amsterdamsmartcity.com, and I’ll connect you!

The city of tomorrow is already being shaped by parties in the Amsterdam Smart City network. But a shared impact language when working together on transition challenges is missing. At the start of our new programme period, our partners have expressed their wishes to make the impact of our organisation, events and projects more measurable so that we can share and learn from each other. Our colleague Antonio Carretero (Amsterdam Economic Board) has developed an impact framework with four impact lenses that can help managing change in a different way. Together with partners Royal HaskoningDHV and Kennisland, Antonio led a workshop about how we can measure the impact of our network during the Demoday on March 23, 2023.

The Impact Framework

The impact framework is a broad forward-looking perspective and includes the various dimensions of impact: economic and sustainability impact, social issues, regional ecosystems and breakthroughs at the systems level. This framework can form the basis for a more shared impact language when working together on transitions. Below find an explanation of the four impact lenses developed by Amsterdam Economic Board:

• Lens 1: Economic and sustainability impact: The first lens focuses on the measurable impact on economy and sustainability in the region. Think of the phase-out of fossil fuels and the transition towards a green economy, with the reduction of CO2 as main goal.
• Lens 2: Social impact: Within the lens, social impact is central: how do projects and investments contribute to solving pressing social issues and well-being for residents? For this lens, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a handy stepping stone to test interventions beforehand, but also to review impact afterwards.
• Lens 3: Strategic impact: The third lens looks at strategic impact from an ecosystem perspective: to what extent do interventions contribute to strengthening innovative ecosystems?
• Lens 4: System impact: With the fourth and final lens, we zoom out to the system level. How do interventions contribute to breaking down and building up systems?

Based on these four lenses, Antonio compiled a checklist with questions. To test the framework and checklist, we invited Marcel van Lieshout (municipality of Amsterdam) and Chris de Veer (province of North-Holland/Amsterdam Smart City), who are involved in the Mobility Challenge.

The case: Mobility Challenge

The Mobility Challenge is a coalition of partners who are working together to make CO2 neutral commute to and from the Johan Cruijff ArenA the norm. Using different types of measures, such as discouraging the use of cars, more bike parking, and group transport by bus, the partners are stimulating visitors to travel to the Johan Cruijff ArenA in a more sustainable way.
According to Antonio, the Impact framework provides three interesting perspectives for the mobility challenge:

• Lens 1: Economic & Sustainability impact: How can we determine the impact of all separate measures? How to start measuring, without it costing too much money or time? Currently, there is much unknown about how and from where visitors are travelling to the ArenA. We discussed an easy way to start measuring: with a questionnaire asking visitors about their commute via de Ajax app. In this way, we can create a baseline assessment.
• Lens 3: Strategic & Ecosystem impact: Which other parties should join, and what is the impact of that? It is important to think out-of-the-box when it comes to other potential partners. Think of area development and environmental parties who know a lot about the infrastructure developments in the area.
• Lens 4: System impact: How can we make CO2 neutral commute the norm and learn from this initiative? How can it become the ‘new normal’? The participants discussed how we can collect and share the learnings, and how we can learn from the cooperation as a network. It was also recommended work together with other events in the city, for example SAIL.

Next steps

In the coming months, we will further develop the Impact framework for the Amsterdam Smart City network. To do so, he will use the Mobility Challenge as a case to test the checklist and the framework. Additionally we will use the impact lenses to sharpen questions or projects brought in by partners, and (internally) map the impact of our tools. Do you have any input, or do you want to know more? Let us know in the comments.

We had the pleasure of diving into the impact story of 15%GasTerug during the Amsterdam Smart City Demodag on the 23rd of March. This action network has been working hard to achieve the goal of 15% gas usage reduction since the war in Ukraine broke out. They reached this goal in January this year and would now like to make their impact more visible to the public.

Therefore Laetitia Stuijt from Amsterdam Economic Board and Sylvester van der Horst from the City of Amsterdam initiated this workshop, supported by Remco Marinus from Havaz Lemz as moderator. Together with the Amsterdam Smart City network we dove into the following sub questions:

• What kind of impact does 15% gas reduction entail?
• How do you present this impact to the public?
• How do you maintain and continue this impact?

To start off, Remco showed the group an example of how Diabetesfonds presented the impact of their sugar reduction campaign as a comparison and inspiration. We were shown different headlines and a campaign video. Properly inspired, the group continued the workshop by brainstorming about possible newspaper headlines on 15%GasTerug. It was interesting to see and learn how these headlines could have different scopes; focussing on the financial/economic aspect, sustainability or the social/human behaviour aspect.

A selection from the headlines:

• “The thermostat also stays below 19 this winter!”
• “Henk doesn’t have to shut down greenhouse due to smart energy savings!”
• “15% less means 150% profit”
• “Energy usage continues to decrease”

As an interesting reflection, Bas Ruis from FIXbrigade brought up how the unwanted shut off of gas at certain households might have contributed to the reduction. Remco proposed that that could also be an angle for a news article. 15%GasTerug could connect their impact story to reasons such as this one for the continuation of their work; using the “human interest” scope.

After a short discussion the group was challenged to list the different components of the accompanying press release and the necessary impact data to support this. This showed us what kind of data is necessary and available and how you transform this into a newsworthy piece. Remco mentioned that it would be ideal to have a dashboard with the impact data supporting the press release.

As the final part of the workshop we flipped our perspective and were asked to think of possible critique we could receive on the news articles. The group came up with reactions such as “What a leftish nonsense! My energy bill is 400 euro a month and there is a lot of draught in my home, but I can’t do anything about it. Thanks housing cooperation.” Following, we had to think of appropriate replies.

This final exercise really made us think about the missing pieces in the press releases and our approach. Remco showed us how by criticizing yourself you can call out the “shadow” of your work. By thinking of a possible reply on this critique you can look at what you do from another perspective and improve your work. This exercise might make you realise that the initial headlines and press releases you thought of, actually won’t work and lead you back to step 1.

Walking through the steps above is useful if you’re stuck or if you’re going into multiple directions while working on something. The approach of this workshop helped to bring focus into the impact and results of 15%GasTerug. Laetitia and Sylvester will present the outcome of this workshop to the action network group. Together with Green Business Club, MRA, Duurzaamheidsraad and Platform 02025 – the other parties taking part in the action network – they will work out the continuation of 15%GasTerug and the presentation of the impact and keep us updated through the platform!

Without a doubt, our lives are becoming increasingly dependent on new technologies. However, we are also becoming increasingly aware that not everyone benefits equally from the opportunities and possibilities of digitization. Technology is often developed for the masses, leaving more vulnerable groups behind. Through the European-funded CommuniCity project, the municipality of Amsterdam aims to support the development of digital solutions for all by connecting tech organisations to the needs of vulnerable communities. The project will develop a citizen-centred co-creation and co-learning process supporting the cities of Amsterdam, Helsinki, and Porto in launching 100 tech pilots addressing the needs of their communities.

Besides the open call for tech-for-good pilots, the municipality of Amsterdam is also looking for a more structural process for matching the needs of citizens to solutions of tech providers. During this work session, Neeltje Pavicic (municipality of Amsterdam) invited the Amsterdam Smart City network to explore current bottlenecks and potential solutions and next steps.

Process & questions

Neeltje introduced the project using two examples of technology developed specifically for marginalised communities: the Be My Eyes app connects people needing sighted support with volunteers giving virtual assistance through a live video call, and the FLOo Robot supports parents with mild intellectual disabilities by stimulating the interaction between parents and the child.

The diversity of the Amsterdam Smart City network was reflected in the CommuniCity worksession, with participants from governments, businesses and knowledge institutions. Neeltje was curious to the perspectives of the public and private sector, which is why the group was separated based on this criteria. First, the participants identified the bottlenecks: what problems do we face when developing tech solutions for and with marginalised communities? After that, we looked at the potential solutions and the next steps.

Bottlenecks for developing tech for vulnerable communities

The group with companies agreed that technology itself can do a lot, but that it is often difficult to know what is already developed in terms of tech-for-good. Going from a pilot or concept to a concrete realization is often difficult due to the stakeholder landscape and siloed institutions. One of the main bottlenecks is that there is no clear incentive for commercial parties to focus on vulnerable groups. Another bottleneck is that we need to focus on awareness; technology often targets the masses and not marginalized groups who need to be better involved in the design of solutions.

In the group with public organisations, participants discussed that the needs of marginalised communities should be very clear. We should stay away from formulating these needs for people. Therefore, it’s important that civic society organisations identify issues and needs with the target groups, and collaborate with tech-parties that can deliver solutions. Another bottleneck is that there is not enough capital from public partners. There are already many pilots, but scaling up is often difficult.. Therefore solutions should have a business, or a value-case.

Potential next steps

What could be the next steps? The participants indicated that there are already a lot of tech-driven projects and initiatives developed to support vulnerable groups. A key challenge is that these initiatives are fragmented and remain small-scale because there is insufficient sharing and learning between them. A better overview of what is already happening is needed to avoid re-inviting the wheel. There are already several platforms to share these types of initiatives but they do not seem to meet the needs in terms of making visible tested solutions with most potential for upscaling. Participants also suggested hosting knowledge sessions to present examples and lessons-learned from tech-for-good solutions, and train developers to make technology accessible from the start. Legislation can also play a role: by law, technology must meet accessibility requirements and such laws can be extended to protect vulnerable groups. Participants agreed that public authorities and commercial parties should engage in more conversation about this topic.

In response to the worksession, Neeltje mentioned that she gained interesting insights from different angles. She was happy that so many participants showed interest in this topic and decided to join the session. In the coming weeks, Neeltje will organise a few follow-up sessions with different stakeholders. Do you have any input for her? You can contact me via sophie@amsterdamsmartcity.com, and I'll connect you to Neeltje.