Private or Public Property?

Being committed to the core objectives is not enough: Smart cities are based on the digitization of our living environments. Thus, the question arises as to who owns the digital infrastructure and the data. Is it public property, like the sewage system and local transportation? Or is it a private asset that belongs to the owner of the application?

Jens Meier, Managing Director of Stadtwerke Lübeck, believes that many people view the issues of a digital city as part of public service. People expect to have access to data and digitization in addition to access to energy, water and public transportation. Digitalization is extremely important for cities and regions to maintain their attractiveness, says Meier.

In Germany, he is in good company with this opinion. German cities believe that data is a collective good, but there are also strong players who see it differently, says Schwartze. While data is often shared liberally on private platforms and messenger services, government applications such as the Cornona-Warn-App or the digital ID card are often viewed critically. Additional challenges arise from the discord between the analog reality in many offices and government agencies and citizens' fears of becoming too transparent. Whether private or public - the first necessary step on the way to a smart city is the digitization of processes.