During the Weekend of Science, the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Center for BOLD Cities is launching major public research on data literacy with the newly developed online game "Your neighborhood, your data. What digital traces do you leave behind? What are your personal data used for? Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven (OCW) kicks off the research on Monday, Oct. 1, by playing the game. Afterwards, she and school children will take a physical data walk through The Hague with Prof. Dr. Liesbet van Zoonen (BOLD Cities and Erasmus School of Social and Behavorial Sciences).
Starting with the Weekend of Science on Oct. 6 and 7, anyone can participate in this nationwide public survey "Your Neighborhood, Your Data. Van Zoonen on the reason for this public survey: "The city is increasingly becoming a hub of data and digital technologies. It is crucial that citizens and administrators gain knowledge and control over it."
Privacy
Smart lampposts, traffic loops in the road, public WI-FI in downtown, parking garages that read your license plate: many people know little about these developments, but they do impact our privacy. Security cameras are visible on the street, but network cables are underground and data linking takes place behind closed doors.
Online game and digital walk
Anyone who wants to participate in the study can play the game online and take a digital walk through a fictional city. The researchers want to gain insight into what people already know and how they behave. And if you know more about "smart applications," will you share your personal data more easily or not? And are people who are hesitant about new technologies at all willing to leave personal data behind? After playing the game, participants will see their own privacy profile based on their results and feedback.
Physical data walks
In addition to the digital walk through the fictional city, the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for BOLD Cities is also hosting physical data walks during Weekend of Science. In The Hague, Almere, Amsterdam and Hilversum, visitors can search the immediate surroundings for examples of smart technology. The starting locations can be found on the Weekend of Science website.
About the Centre for BOLD Cities
The Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for BOLD Cities conducts research and organizes projects around the theme 'digital city and society'. Starting point is the perspective of citizens and administration in the (smart) city. Increasing data awareness is high on the Centre's agenda. For each project, a diverse team is assembled with scientists from Leiden University, TU Delft and Erasmus University Rotterdam. The Centre works closely with partners such as the Municipality of Rotterdam, which helped make this project possible.
