A Communicative Approach to Care in Everyday Smart Cities: Bridging Chinese and Nordic Perspectives

This paper explores how a communicative approach to care can inform the development of everyday smart cities, focusing on Chinese-Nordic digital collaborations. Care is conceptualized as a relational and context-sensitive practice, deeply embedded in cultural norms and everyday interactions. Building on Tronto’s (1993) ethic of care and Woodley’s (2017) articulation of vulnerability and care, we propose a framework for integrating care into the design and governance of smart urban environments.<br/><br/>Smart city initiatives increasingly shape the lived experiences of urban residents through digital infrastructures, data-driven services, and sustainability goals. China’s long-standing commitment to smart city development emphasizes urban efficiency, digital connectivity, and environmental integration. These efforts culminate in what Chinese policymakers refer to as the “dual transformation”: the convergence of digitalization and green transition (see e.g., NDRC, 2024). <br/><br/>In parallel, Nordic countries have focused on digital autonomy and citizen-centered urban planning, often emphasizing transparency, data protection, and participatory governance. For example, the European Union’s directive to enhance digital resilience and reduce dependency on external data infrastructures reflects broader concerns about ethical data use and technological sovereignty (European Commission, 2023).<br/>By analyzing recent policy documents and strategic frameworks from both regions, this paper examines how a communicative approach to care can provide an inclusive, ethical, and culturally responsive smart city development. Rather than framing digitalization only through risk or competition (as the current Chinese-Nordic approaches oscillate between), we advocate for an approach to collaboration grounded in mutual respect, shared values, and dialogic engagement.<br/>We thus aim to foster urban futures that are not only technologically advanced but also socially attuned and human-centered.<br/><br/>References<br/>Tronto, J. C. (1993). Moral boundaries: A political argument for an ethic of care. Routledge.<br/>Tronto, J. C. (2013). Caring democracy: Markets, equality, and justice. NYU Press.<br/>Tronto, J. C. (2024). Care ethics in theory and practice: Joan C. Tronto in conversation with Iris <br/>Parra Jounou. Critical Exchange. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41296-024-00680-6<br/>Browne, V., Danely, J., &amp; Rosenow, D. (Eds.). (2021). Vulnerability and the politics of care: Transdisciplinary dialogues. Oxford University Press. https://academic.oup.com/british-academy-scholarship-online/book/37456<br/>European Commission. (2024). Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 on horizontal cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements (Cyber Resilience Act). Official Journal of the European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2847/oj/eng<br/>Central Committee of the Communist Party of China &amp; State Council. (2023). Plan for the Overall Layout of Building a Digital China. Translated by DigiChina. https://digichina.stanford.edu/work/translation-plan-for-the-overall-layout-of-building-a-digital-china/<br/>National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). (2014). Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Healthy Development of Smart Cities. [Referenced in Smart-Eco Cities in China report]. http://smart-eco-cities.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/SMART-ECO-CITIES-in-China-2016.pdf<br/>National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). (2024). Report on the Dual Transformation: Integration of Digitalization and Green Transition in Smart Cities. [Referenced in UN-Habitat Smart Cities Outlook]. https://unhabitat.org/world-smart-cities-outlook-2024<br/>