Making computer and normative codes converge. A sociotechnical approach to smart cities

In this paper, we propose that a smart approach to city development must seek a continuous and recursive interplay between two levels of codes. On the one hand, computer codes, which rule the development and the functioning of the ubiquitous ICTs infrastructure. On the other hand, normative codes, which govern the practices through which social actors perceive ICTs and decide to exploit them in order to improve their lives. We thus take an exploratory standpoint and investigate to what extent key players in the EU smart cities policy domain are framed according to such a sociotechnical perspective. To this purpose, we first map an online issue network on the topic of smart cities in Europe and then explore the frames that circulate within its core. Our results suggest that, although smart cities are framed sociotechnically, EU key players tend to better converge around technological aspects rather than social ones.