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Current imaginaries of urban smart grid technologies are painting attractive pictures of the kinds of energy futures that are desirable and attainable in cities. Making claims about the future city, the socio-technical imaginaries related to smart grid developments unfold the power to guide urban energy policymaking and implementation practices. This paper analyses how urban smart grid futures are being imagined and co-produced in the city of Berlin, Germany. It explores these imaginaries to show how the politics of Berlin's urban energy transition are being driven by techno-optimistic visions of the city's digital modernisation and its ambitions to become a 'smart city'. The analysis is based on a discourse analysis of relevant urban policy and other documents, as well as interviews with key stakeholders from Berlin's energy, ICT and urban development sectors, including key experts from three urban laboratories for smart grid development and implementation in the city. It identifies three dominant imaginaries that depict urban smart grid technologies as (a) environmental solution, (b) economic imperative and (c) exciting experimental challenge. The paper concludes that dominant imaginaries of smart grid technologies in the city are grounded in a techno-optimistic approach to urban development that are foreclosing more subtle alternatives or perhaps more radical change towards low-carbon energy systems.

Current imaginaries of urban smart grid technologies are painting attractive pictures of the kinds of energy futures that are desirable and attainable in cities. Making claims about the future city, the socio-technical imaginaries related to smart grid developments unfold the power to guide urban energy policymaking and implementation practices. This paper analyses how urban smart grid futures are being imagined and co-produced in the city of Berlin, Germany. It explores these imaginaries to show how the politics of Berlin's urban energy transition are being driven by techno-optimistic visions of the city's digital modernisation and its ambitions to become a 'smart city'. The analysis is based on a discourse analysis of relevant urban policy and other documents, as well as interviews with key stakeholders from Berlin's energy, ICT and urban development sectors, including key experts from three urban laboratories for smart grid development and implementation in the city. It identifies three dominant imaginaries that depict urban smart grid technologies as (a) environmental solution, (b) economic imperative and (c) exciting experimental challenge. The paper concludes that dominant imaginaries of smart grid technologies in the city are grounded in a techno-optimistic approach to urban development that are foreclosing more subtle alternatives or perhaps more radical change towards low-carbon energy systems.

Current imaginaries of urban smart grid technologies are painting attractive pictures of the kinds of energy futures that are desirable and attainable in cities. Making claims about the future city, the socio-technical imaginaries related to smart grid developments unfold the power to guide urban energy policymaking and implementation practices. This paper analyses how urban smart grid futures are being imagined and co-produced in the city of Berlin, Germany. It explores these imaginaries to show how the politics of Berlin's urban energy transition are being driven by techno-optimistic visions of the city's digital modernisation and its ambitions to become a 'smart city'. The analysis is based on a discourse analysis of relevant urban policy and other documents, as well as interviews with key stakeholders from Berlin's energy, ICT and urban development sectors, including key experts from three urban laboratories for smart grid development and implementation in the city. It identifies three dominant imaginaries that depict urban smart grid technologies as (a) environmental solution, (b) economic imperative and (c) exciting experimental challenge. The paper concludes that dominant imaginaries of smart grid technologies in the city are grounded in a techno-optimistic approach to urban development that are foreclosing more subtle alternatives or perhaps more radical change towards low-carbon energy systems.

Städte und Landkreise haben eine Schlüsselrolle in der digitalen Transformation. Doch was heißt kommunale Selbstverwaltung im digitalen Zeitalter? Am Beispiel des Bündnisses Digitale Stadt in Berlin zeigt der Beitrag, wie unsere Städte nicht nur smart, sondern auch inklusiv und demokratisch werden können.

Seit 2013 befasst sich eine interdisziplinäre Arbeitsgruppe am Zentrum Technik und Gesellschaft (ZTG) mit dem Thema Smart City. In diesem discussion paper werden die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit zusammengefasst und diskutiert, um die ZTG-interne Diskussion und Meinungsbildung zum Thema zu unterstützen und unsere Perspektiven interessierten Dritten zugänglich zu machen. Kapitel 2 bietet ein Überblick über den Forschungs- und Diskussionsstand zum Thema Smart Cities sowie zu den vielfältigen Definitionen und Begriffsverständnissen. Die Smart City Strategien einiger Städte werden exemplarisch analysiert sowie eine Abgrenzung zu ähnlichen Konzepten vorgenommen. Des Weiteren werden kritische Aspekte des Smart City Konzepts dargestellt. In Kapitel 3 wird der Arbeitskreisinterne Diskussionsstand zusammenfasst (3.1) und berichten einzelne Forschungsbereiche des ZTG über ihre bisherigen Erfahrungen und die für diese relevanten Aspekte von Smart Cities (3.2). Im abschließenden 4. Kapitel wird der wissenschaftliche Diskussionsstand mit den ZTG-internen Perspektiven zusammengeführt und die Bedeutung für die zukünftige Arbeit am ZTG und darüber hinaus reflektiert. Eine wesentliche Erkenntnis lautet, dass Smart City Konzepte keine neuartigen Entwicklungsperspektiven repräsentieren, sondern existierende Leitvorstellungen ergänzen. Weiter sind Technologien dann smart, wenn sie den Interessen und Bedürfnissen der Menschen dienen und wenn sie soziale und politische Teilhabe und Inklusion sowie gerechte und demokratische Gesellschaftsstrukturen fördern. So können Smart Cities entstehen, die sich durch ihre hohe Lebensqualität auszeichnen. ; Since 2013, an interdisciplinary working group at the Center for Technology and Society (CTS) is dealing with the topic smart city. This discussion paper summarizes and discusses results of its activities. Thus, the CTS-internal discussion and opinion building on the topic shall be supported and the findings be made accessible to third parties. Chapter 2 of the paper looks at the state of research and discussion on smart cities and gives an overview of the diverse definitions and understandings of the term. Smart City strategies of selected examples are analysed. Furthermore, similarities and differences with related concepts are worked out and critical aspects of the smart city concept are outlined. Chapter 3 summarizes the working group's internal state of discussion (3.1) and CTS research areas describe their experiences and relevant aspects regarding smart city (3.2). The final chapter 4 merges the scientific discussion with the CTS-internal perspectives and reflects them towards their implications for the future work at the CTS and beyond. Major findings show that smart city concepts do not represent new development perspectives but complement existing conceptions. Furthermore they say that technology is smart when it serves the interests and needs of people, promotes social and political participation and inclusion as well as just and democratic social structures. In this way, cities characterized by a high quality of life will develop.

Frontmatter --Inhalt --Einleitung --I. Kooperative Technikgestaltung mit Bürgerinnen und Nutzerinnen --Zur Wissenspolitik von Smart-Grid-Experimenten --Algorithmen erklärt Euch! --Digitalisierung und Verkehrswende --Es ist Zeit für bessere Ideen --II. Soziotechnische Imaginationen und Kräfteverhältnisse --Schöne neue Bauwelt? --»Die Benutzer sind das Problem, nicht das System« --Digitale Energiezukünfte und ihre Wirkungsmacht --Human-Machine Learning und Digital Commons --III. Soziodigitale Neukonfiguration von Politik und Öffentlichkeit --Codes, Strategien, Verhalten --Öffentliche Kommunikation in der digitalisierten Gesellschaft --Reallabore --Bericht aus der Praxis --Verzeichnis der Autorinnen und Autoren