Julia Schinnenburg

Throughout studying geography in Heidelberg and atthe University of Denver, Colorado, Julia Schinnenburg has looked at power differences between different actors in cities and how these differences could be renegotiated, both through participation methods as well as infrastructural changes.

Trust (Building) through Smart Cities in the US

Smart City projects promise lots of exciting things: better government services for less money, more environmentally-friendly cities without any constraints for the citizens, and better inclusion of the citizens into the government’s decision-making. Especially the last point has long been a focus of feminist geographers, and what they have found in smart cities so far shows that the mainstream of projects falls short of delivering on their promises. In her research project, Julia Schinnenburg showcases alternative ways through which some cities and actors already implement truly empowering smart city solutions (with all their challenges) and additionally contributes to the feminist geographic understanding of how feminist knowledge on participation (methods) can be applied to the digital realm.