‘Daseinsvorsorge’ as a care-based principle of transformation: Perspective toward a caring development of sustainable cities

Benedict Lang

doi:10.14512/tatup.7168

Authors

Benedict Lang European New School of Digital Studies, European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder) (DE) https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0818-121X lang@europa-uni.de

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14512/tatup.7168

Keywords:

Daseinsvorsorge, smart city, responsible research and innovation, care

Abstract

Cities around the world are using smart city approaches to transform urban infrastructures toward sustainability. Critical academic studies of smart city projects often fail to integrate the aspect of care. Based on empirical evidence, I argue that öffentliche Daseinsvorsorge (public services provided to fulfil basic human needs) as a guiding principle of urban development can serve as a starting point for responsible research and innovation that considers questions of care. To do so, I first develop the concept of Daseinsvorsorge, which will serve as a critical lens to evaluate transformation projects from a perspective of care. Then I situate the concept in broader academic debates on responsible research and innovation (RRI) and technology assessment (TA). Furthermore, I propose Daseinsvorsorge as a concrete normative framework that reflects the role of municipal administrations and their responsibilities toward the citizens.

References

Boenink, Marianne; Kudina, Olya (2020): Values in responsible research and innovation. From entities to practices. Journal of Responsible Innovation 7 (3), pp. 450–470. https://doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2020.1806451 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2020.1806451

Cardullo, Paolo; Kitchin, Rob (2019): Smart urbanism and smart citizenship. The neoliberal logic of ‘citizen-focused’ smart cities in Europe. In: Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space 37 (5), pp. 813–830. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263774X18806508 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0263774X18806508

Clark, Jennifer (2020): Uneven innovation. The work of smart cities. New York, NY: Columbia University Press. https://doi.org/10.7312/clar18496 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7312/clar18496

Cole, Alistair; Stivas, Dionysios; Tran, Emilie; Lai, Calvin (2023): The ‘Smart City’ between urban narrative and empty signifier. Hong Kong in focus. In: Cogent Social Sciences 9 (1), p. 2231624. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2023.2231624 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2023.2231624

Dignum, Virginia (2019): Responsible artificial intelligence. How to develop and use AI in a responsible way. Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30371-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30371-6

European Commission (2014): Horizon 2020. Available online at https://wayback.archive-it.org/12090/20220124160515/https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/h2020-section/responsible-research-innovation, last accessed on 30.01.2025.

Forsthoff, Ernst (1938): Die Verwaltung als Leistungsträger. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.

Gottschlich, Daniela et al. (2014): Doing sustainable economy at the crossroads of gender, care and the green economy. Debates – common ground – blind spots. Berlin: LIFE e.V. Available online at https://www.genanet.de/fileadmin/user_upload/dokumente/Care_Gender_Green_Economy/CaGE_Texte_4-2014_engl.pdf, last accessed on 30.01.2025.

Gudowsky, Niklas et al. (2014): Responsible Research und TA. Innovationen neu gestalten. In: TATuP - Journal for Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice 23 (3), pp. 106–110. https://doi.org/10.14512/tatup.23.3.106 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14512/tatup.23.3.106

Hollands, Robert (2008): Will the real smart city please stand up? Intelligent, progressive or entrepreneurial? In: City 12 (3), pp. 303–320. https://doi.org/10.1080/13604810802479126 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13604810802479126

Liebert, Wolfgang; Schmidt, Jan (2010): Towards a prospective technology assessment. Challenges and requirements for technology assessment in the age of technoscience. In: Poiesis & Praxis 7 (1–2), pp. 99–116. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10202-010-0079-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10202-010-0079-1

Lindén, Lisa; Lydahl, Doris (2021): Editorial. Care in STS. In: Nordic Journal of Science and Technology Studies 9 (1), pp. 3–12. https://doi.org/10.5324/njsts.v9i1.4000 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5324/njsts.v9i1.4000

Mause, Karsten (2018): Daseinsvorsorge. In: Rüdiger Voigt (ed.): Handbuch Staat. Wiesbaden: Springer, pp. 415–421. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-20744-1_37 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-20744-1_37

Meier, Jens; Brosze, Tobias; Papenfuß, Ulf; Wiesche, Manuel (eds.) (2024): Digitale Daseinsvorsorge. Stadtwerke als Treiber der digitalen Transformation für Kommunen, Land und Bund. Wiesbaden: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-44138-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-44138-8

Mol, Annemarie (2008): The logic of care. Health and the problem of patient choice. London: Routledge.

Neu, Claudia (ed.) (2009): Daseinsvorsorge. Eine gesellschaftswissenschaftliche Annäherung. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-91876-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-91876-1

Owen, Richard; Stilgoe, Jack; Macnaghten, Phil; Gorman, Mike; Fisher, Erik; Guston, Dave (2013): A framework for responsible innovation. In: Richard Owen, John Bessant and Maggy Heintz (eds.): Responsible innovation. Managing the responsible emergence of science and innovation in society. Chichester: Wiley, pp. 27–50. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118551424.ch2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118551424.ch2

Papenfuß, Ulf; Polzer, Tobias; Roos, Zino (2022): Digitale Daseinsvorsorge und nachhaltige Stadtentwicklung. Empirische Befunde zu Stadtwerken als Digitalisierungspartner und Gestaltungsperspektiven (DiDa-Stadt). Friedrichshafen: Zeppelin Universität. https://doi.org/10.57938/O.2022.001

Puig de la Bellacasa, María (2017): Matters of care. Speculative ethics in more than human worlds. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2753906700002096

Scherz, Constanze; Nierling, Linda; Sotoudeh, Mahshid; Hebakova, Lenka; Michalek, Thomas (2020): Technology assessment. Thinking with values. In: TATuP - Journal for Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice 29 (1), pp. 64–66. https://doi.org/10.14512/tatup.29.1.64 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14512/tatup.29.1.64

Shelton, Taylor; Zook, Matthew; Wiig, Alan (2015): The ‘actually existing smart city’. In: Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society 8 (1), pp. 13–25. https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsu026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsu026

Stilgoe, Jack; Owen, Richard; Macnaghten, Phil (2013): Developing a framework for responsible innovation. In: Research Policy 42 (9), pp. 1568–1580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2013.05.008 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2013.05.008

Torgersen, Helge (2018): TA 18. Technikfolgenabschätzung und Normativität. In: TATuP - Journal for Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice 27 (3), pp. 71–72. https://doi.org/10.14512/tatup.27.3.71 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14512/tatup.27.3.71

Tronto, Joan (2020): Moral boundaries. A political argument for an ethic of care. New York, NY: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003070672 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003070672