Cities face huge and growing challenges, and tech-first smart city approaches have failed to deliver. Digital social innovation (DSI) presents a radical alternative, focused on using open and collaborative technologies to put people at the heart of modern cities.

At the same time, pioneering cities across the world are beginning to show how strategic policy making can be the key to success for DSI initiatives. There is a huge opportunity for city governments to support DSI and reshape technology as a force for good.

Organised by Nesta and the ePaństwo Foundation, and bringing the DSI4EU project to a close, New urban visions explored how city governments and the DSI community can work together to improve people’s lives.

We launched the European DSI Index and our new collection of visions for the future of DSI, hearing from speakers from across Europe, and bringing participants together in interactive workshops and discussions focused on key themes from our research.

New urban visions was open to everyone across Europe, and particularly aimed at: representatives of city governments, local government associations, city networks, umbrella bodies; representatives of central government; DSI practitioners; and funders of DSI, tech for good, civic tech and public sector innovation.