Once the sole domain of science fiction, wearable technology, self-driven electric cars and robotic assistants have increasingly become an expected part of the day-to-day. But more work needs to be done to highlight the relevance of this tech to people living in cities. As these technologies become fully integrated in city life, people will have to understand the impact of technological advancement and add to their skillsets in order to effectively adapt to a future digital transformation of cities.

In a report featured on the Government Office for Science’s Foresight blog, co-authors Dr Theo Tryfonas and Dr Tom Crick discuss the challenges we face in preparing citizens for this burgeoning digital world. In considering citizenship, Dr Tryfonas and Dr Crick suggest entrepreneurship, creativity, design, computational and systems thinking as necessary skillsets.

Although the UK has made some headway in raising awareness for these skillsets, it still lags behind the USA, Canada and China. To close the gap, the report recommends that technology be seen as an enabler rather than as a way to immobilise a community. Public engagement activities, seminars and MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) will help in building trust in technology, overcome the recent negative press of digital surveillance and ensure that no citizens are left disadvantaged in comparison to their more technologically savvy, or more privileged, counterparts.