Internet Technology and Urban Sustainability

Abstract

Environmental conservation and anthropogenic climate change are issues which can no longer be ignored by any government, industry or academic community. However, compared to the rapid rate at which internet technology has been developed and integrated into everyday life for the past few decades, efforts to improve the ecological situation via such technologies have by and large remained inchoate. This paper seeks to identify nascent opportunities for sustainability that can be amplified, augmented or realised via internet technology. Three main aspects of significance coalesce in this paper’s discussion: participatory culture, internet technology, real-time information. We draw on these three research themes in order to inform an exploration of what can be done to better meet the needs of urban users as they try to embrace a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. The insights can then guide the design and development of usable and useful information interfaces and feedback mechanisms as well as persuasive and motivational approaches to help the urban user achieve their goal.