Big data is big business. Businesses use personal data for profit, often without citizens’ knowledge. We want to change this. This project aims to study and develop new models in which the actual residents of the district rather than big business can profit from data. What if data were to be used for the good of the community?

UNSense wants to set the next step in planning and opinion forming on smart cities, and explore what a smart city, with all its processes and information, might actually look like.  For this, it introduces as part of Brainport Smart District a real life test environment of 100 homes consisting of a cross-section of society ranging from single householders to families and from young to old. In this district we will study together with the residents how data can be used to improve the living environment and people’s welfare in cities in psychological, physical, social and economic terms.

UNSense highly values a nuanced approach to the creation of the intended test environment of 100 homes and therefore wants to study the feasibility of the plans together with the future residents. The goal of the project is to learn how data can increase the personal welfare of individual citizens, but also of society as a whole, in order to build an attractive, healthy and safe city.

UNSense has the ambition to develop new standards and better rules in Brainport Smart District in order to secure:

• respect for the privacy of the residents of the city;
• a level playing field for residents, (local) service providers and government;
• new (local and fairer) business models.
  The feasibility of the proposal is currently being investigated. If the outcome is positive, the proposal may well become a reality.