Balancing Urban Innovation with a Responsible Approach to the Internet of Things: The Case of Limerick

Smart cities appear to be synonymous with pervasive IoT. Footfall, energy consumption, passengers availing of public transport, everything needs to be monitored, predicted and adjusted to fit pre-determined models. But cities have their own individualities, and beside their infrastructures, they are made of people. In this article we are discussing the case of a city that is involved in a large-scale project which explores the balance between facilitating engagement and instituting surveillance through sensor-enabled behavioural change, smart energy metering, and data sharing between property owners.