Cities and digital technologies

Alongside INIA and Cozy Cloud, the Urban School of Science Po partners in the "self-data" project run by the Lyon metropolitan authority. This project is a winner in the national "Intelligent and Sustainable Territories" programme run by the Banque des Territoires. It has a dual objective: firstly, to contribute to the development of new digital services for the residents of the Lyon metropolitan area. The first use cases developed are designed to encourage digital inclusion and contribute to the greening of behaviour. Secondly, to enables individuals to control their personal data and combat power asymmetries in the digital economy. 

The concept of "self-data", as defined by the Fondation Internet Nouvelle Génération (FING), refers to the production, use and sharing of personal data by individuals under their control and for their own purposes. In Lyon, this concept is reflected in the city's provision of a "digital safe" where users can store their data and operate services while respecting their privacy. It is the individuals themselves who decide who can access their personal data and for what purposes. This initiative is part of a wider drive to regulate the digital economy supported by the European Union through various regulations such as the RGPD and the Data Governance Act.

The Urban School is supporting the roll-out of the project by analysing the conditions under which it is being implemented and its impact on governance and urban policies in the Lyon metropolitan area. This work is a continuation of the research carried out as part of the City and Digital Chair between 2017 and 2023.

Manon Laugaa, post-doctoral researcher of the project

Manon Laugaa, who recently joined Sciences Po, is coordinating the research project. She is a full member of the intellectual and academic community at Sciences Po's Urban School, and her activities will combine research and teaching.

A doctor in political science, she defended her thesis at Sciences Po Bordeaux, entitled " En orbite de la ville numérique. Sociologie politique des cabinets satellites dans l’action publique urbaine ". In it, she explores the effects of consultancies' activities on urban digital policies and the digital city market, while also exploring the impact of public-private hybridisation on the consultancy sector and on consultants' practices.

Before joining the Urban School, she was a temporary teaching and research associate (ATER) at Sciences Po Bordeaux, where she co-directed the Masters in Metropolitan Strategies and Governance alongside Gilles Pinson.

Two group projects

The research project also includes two group projects. 

The first is being carried out by six students from the GETIC master's programme. It compares different European projects aimed at using personal data for the ecological transition. 

The second project is being carried out by five students from the STU master's programme and looks at how users are adopting self-data systems and the effects this is having on the Lyon administration.