Mapping dashboards for urban sustainability: tools for citizen engagement or technocratic governance?

Mapping dashboards are transformative tools in urban governance, offering real-time data visualization to support sustainable development, enhance decision-making, and foster citizen engagement. In this context, while some critics warn that mapping dashboard can embody an extremely technocratic form of city governance, others praise their potential for deeper forms of citizen engagement and participation in planning. As these tools are increasingly used by cities to achieve and monitor the transition to more sustainable futures, it is important to understand the extent to which urban dashboards are true to their participatory potential. This dissertation analyses the role of mapping dashboards in supporting sustainable urban development in Turin by drawing comparative insights from Helsinki and Copenhagen. In doing so, this work seeks to understand how mapping dashboards can balance technocratic governance with citizen engagement in Turin to better achieve the SDGs. While mapping dashboards have proven effective in advancing sustainable urban development in cities like Helsinki and Copenhagen, Turin has yet to fully capitalize on these tools. The city's existing dashboards are fragmented and lack comprehensive integration across sectors, limiting their effectiveness in supporting sustainability initiatives. This gap raises critical questions about how Turin can enhance its use of digital platforms to address environmental, social, and economic challenges. There is a pressing need to explore how mapping dashboards can transition from being purely technocratic tools to inclusive platforms that foster citizen participation and collaborative governance. Anchored in the theory of communicative planning, which emphasizes dialogue, inclusivity, and shared decision-making, this dissertation analyses how digital platforms are embedded in the urban governance cultures of these three cities. Through an in-depth case study of Turin—including tools developed by CSI Piemonte—and a comparative analysis of Helsinki’s participatory data platforms and Copenhagen’s real-time operational dashboards, the thesis of this work is that mapping dashboards can bridge technocratic governance and citizen engagement, offering a pathway to more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban environments. By aligning its strategies with leading cities, Turin can position itself as a model of sustainable urban development, contributing meaningfully to global sustainability goals.