An interactive tool for citizens’ involvement in the sustainable regeneration

• Published in: Facilities (Bradford, West Yorkshire, England) West Yorkshire, England), 2020-09, Vol.38 (11/12), p.859-870
• Main Authors: Temeljotov Salaj, Alenka, Gohari, Savis, Senior, Coline, Xue, Yan, Lindkvist, Carmel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Built environment; Citizen participation; Collaboration; Community; Consumers; Decision making; Empowerment; Enlargement; Explicit knowledge; Facilities management; Innovations; Internet; New technology; Paris Agreement; Product development; Public participation; Quality of life; Regeneration; Skills; Smart cities; Sustainability; Sustainability transitions; Sustainable development; Technological change; Urban planning; Urbanization; Websites
• ISSN: 0263-2772; 1758-7131
• DOI: 10.1108/F-09-2019-0099

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test possibilities of real participation in FM field in response to the energy sustainable demand by using new technologies for better communication. It is acknowledged that the technological innovation is a necessary condition to make a city sustainable, though the challenge is not primarily on technology but on service transformation and improvement. Improving service quality requires the participatory and synergetic processes that attract an extra attention to the social and management aspects of urban planning. Design/methodology/approach This is an evidence-based research, which shows how FM can extent its impact on the build environment and society by bringing the socio-physiological aspect and the community in the central of the planning and design process. Findings An “urban” facility manager, through integration of multiple disciplines in a human-centre approach, can become the enabler and implementer of sustainable urban ecosystem, i.e. balancing social, economic and environmental pillars. This requires central involvement of FM in the planning and decision-making processes; therefore, its role and impact should be enlarged and better communicated. The enlargement of the FM's role initially requires an effective communication with people, whose behavioural change are prerequisite for the sustainability transition. The communication between FM and people should be interactive and iterative, in which they both define problems/needs and co-create the relevant solutions. Research limitations/implications This paper depicts an evidence-based FM practice, in which the website as an interactive tool is co-designed by the “facility management” students and the citizens to contribute to the real citizen participation in an effective communication process. Originality/value The high value for both, citizens and facility manager, is co-created information platform for upgrading the sustainability level and well-being in the communities. The tool is seen as an important starting contribution for the Paris climate agreement, and as a step toward human-centric-oriented urban sustainable regenerating project.