Simon (30) is single and has been living in The district of the future in Brandevoort for several months. He talks about the convenience of innovations and the human scale of the neighborhood.

“A digital district… when I first went to look at a property in this particular neighborhood, I honestly didn’t know what to imagine. ‘Control over my data’? That meant nothing to me. Sure, I know the discussions about Facebook’s privacy sensitivity and I know that companies earn from the data I leave behind. But how do you translate that to a residential district? I was particularly curious about my new home. Would I qualify for it, and if so, which home will I want? And how will I furnish it?

An app that indicates how full the waste container for paper and cardboard is. Now that I live here, I experience the convenience of small digital innovations on a daily basis. Sensors have been hung here and there in the neighborhood to collect data. As a result, walking in vain to the container and seeing that there is no place for my waste is a thing of the past. And the waste collection service also sees when the container needs to be emptied. Wonderfully convenient!

Last week, I attended an information meeting on the digital district and data use. Here, the possibilities for more sensors in public spaces were shown. From sensors that calculate air quality to sensors that measure your heart rhythm while you wait at a traffic light. The question is whether we as residents actually want all these innovations. A difficult discussion, as personal preferences play a role and the use of technology has its limitations. Cameras that can detect suspicious people in the neighborhood based on algorithms may give a safe feeling, but would you really want to live in a neighborhood where you cannot walk home from a neighborhood barbecue tipsy without being noticed?

Fortunately, Brainport Smart District thought carefully about the use of technology and how to involve residents beforehand. For instance, there is a sensor register in the district, indicating where sensors hang and for what purpose. In addition, agreements have been made with companies that the data collected will also be used by other parties to improve the district. Think of anonymous data used by the municipality, for example, to provide a more appropriate public transport offer in the neighborhood.

Since living in The neighborhood of the future, I have been more conscious about social media and technology. I still wear a smartwatch because I like being able to measure my daily activities. I know its data goes to a US company, but that is a consideration I make for myself. At the same time, for my robotic vacuum cleaner, I no longer use the accompanying app on my phone to control it remotely. For me, simply pressing the on/off button on the device itself requires little effort.

I still use Facebook because my family also uses it, but here in Brandevoort we have an interesting alternative, BrandevoortLab, which is set up on a non-commercial basis. I use it daily for contact with neighbors and other residents of the neighborhood. The social institutions active in the neighborhood also communicate via BrandevoortLab. An advantage of this tool is that actual contact with neighbors has also increased.

For example, an elderly woman in the neighborhood is struggling with health problems. Her toilet door has a sensor that sends a signal if the door does not open or close for a long time. This could be an indication that something is wrong. A call came through BrandevoortLab to see if neighbors wanted to act as a contact to immediately go and check on situations like this. I signed up for this and via an app I get a notification. Fortunately, such a situation has not yet occurred. But without the call, I would never have known about this neighbor’s living situation. Now I call spontaneously every now and then to ask how things are going.

Technology can achieve a lot, but it’s mainly about the human touch. And ultimately, we as residents determine that ourselves.”