Informal 2.0: Seeing and improving urban informal practices through digital technologies the digital matatus case in

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Citation Klopp, Jacqueline et al. “Informal 2.0: Seeing and improving urban informal practices through digital technologies the digital matatus case in Nairobi.” Field Actions Science Report, Special Issue 16, (June 2017): 39-43 © 2017 The Author(s)

Publisher Institut Veolia Environnement

Citable link https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/126838 Field Actions Science Reports The journal of field actions

Special Issue 16 | 2017 Smart Cities at the Crossroads

Informal 2.0: Seeing and Improving Urban Informal Practices through Digital Technologies The Digital Matatus case in Nairobi

Jacqueline Klopp, Dan Orwa, Peter Waiganjo Wagacha, Sarah Williams and Adam White

Electronic version URL: http://journals.openedition.org/factsreports/4321 ISSN: 1867-8521

Publisher Institut Veolia

Printed version Date of publication: 1 June 2017 Number of pages: 39-43 ISSN: 1867-139X

Electronic reference Jacqueline Klopp, Dan Orwa, Peter Waiganjo Wagacha, Sarah Williams and Adam White, « Informal 2.0: Seeing and Improving Urban Informal Practices through Digital Technologies The Digital Matatus case in Nairobi », Field Actions Science Reports [Online], Special Issue 16 | 2017, Online since 01 June 2017, connection on 30 April 2019. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/factsreports/4321

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License A holistic approach to Smart Cities: articulating technology and citizen engagement

While most cities develop sophisticated IT INFORMAL 2.0: projects to make their organization smarter, the Digital Matatus case suggests the value of a much more modest and bottom-up Seeing and Improving approach: it encourages reliance on common technologies like cellphones to understand Urban Informal Practices and improve existing urban services – that often involve informality – in emerging through Digital Technologies countries. By developing the fi rst-ever high quality data set and map of the Matatu The Digital Matatus case network (very common semi-informal mini- buses in ), the projects promotes a new, in Nairobi low-cost and more practical vision of smart and transit-oriented cities. Jacqueline Klopp Sarah Williams Associate Research Scholar, Center Assistant Professor of Urban Planning for Sustainable Urban Development, and Director of the Civic Data Design INTRODUCTION Columbia University Lab, School of Architecture and Planning School, Massachusetts Institute Transportation is an essential infrastructure Dan Orwa of Technology Senior Lecturer, of a well-functioning city. While in most cities Adam White Peter Waiganjo Wagacha Co-founder of Groupshot of developed countries, official transportation Associate Professor, School of Computing and Informatics, University of Nairobi systems are available and effi cient, many cities in Africa and parts of Asia and the Americas still suffer from a lack of public investment in transportation and have to rely on privately run and often informal transportation solutions. In many of these cities, the majorities do not own cars and rely heavily on these semi-formal transit systems, which often are bus systems of various kinds. In a world faced with climate change and many problems stemming from urban car use, this could be an opportunity to build better, transit-oriented cities by investing heavily in improving transit. A first, incremental step to becoming transit-oriented cities involves using technology to better understand and optimize existing transportation systems and building on top of these to move towards well-functioning transit systems. Research team mapping the network. Source: Digital Matatus Nairobi is a typical example of these cities which have to cope with informal transportation Conceived out of collaboration between Kenyan and American solutions. The Matatus network for instance, universities and the technology sector in Nairobi, Digital Matatus made up of 80,000 mini-buses operating within shows how to leverage the ubiquitous nature of cellphone the whole country (20,000 in Nairobi alone), has technology to collect missing data for essential infrastructure become a central part of Kenyan citizens’ daily - including those with high levels of informality. The project life. In Nairobi, less than 20% of the population captured transit data in standardized form for Nairobi’s semi- has a car and 70% of the city’s dwellers use formal bus system, developed the fi rst public transit map for such Matatus every day. In this context, our research a system and made the map and data free to the public, spurring partnership, entitled “Digital Matatus”, innovation and improved services for citizens. aimed to use modern digital technology to reveal, understand and provoke debates on KEYWORDS this traditional and informal transportation network as well as to provide concrete data • TRANSPORTATION and information services to transit users and • INFORMAL SECTOR planners. Our project therefore embraces the • DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES challenge of informality and promotes the • TRANSIT-ORIENTED CITIES • BOTTOM-UP APPROACH reconsideration of more externally driven and top down smart city ideas in the African context.

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1. THE DIGITAL MATATUS PROJECT: THE FIRST MAP 80,000 MINI-BUSES OF AN INFORMAL TRANSPORTATION NETWORK IN (Matatus) operating THE WORLD in Kenya (20 000 in Nairobi) Less than The Digital Matatus project emerged from the shared concern of all the members of our consortium (Columbia University, University 20% OF THE POPULATION of Nairobi, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Groupshot) has a car in Nairobi about how to improve public transportation in Nairobi - and in African cities in general. Aware of the importance of informal 70% OF THE CITY’S practices in these contexts, the four partners joined their efforts and expertise in order to produce the fi rst open data set and map of the DWELLERS Matatu network. uses Matatus every day in Nairobi The first step of the project consisted in an in-depth exploratory field work in the city. After developing a protocol for identifying stops, from September 2012 to September 2013, six students of the University of Nairobi were each given an area to cover in which they were in charge of mapping the Matatu network. Through their students from the Massachusetts Institute of mobile phones and very simple GPS technologies, they collected Technology were involved at various levels to information on the bus routes, schedule, stops, etc. This fi eld work analyze, process and clean the data collected. The represented a major logistical and organizational challenge: contrary MIT Civic Data Design lab then was able to use this to what is common in developed countries, there are neither signals data to create a public transit map much along the nor ways to identify the Matatu network in Nairobi. In parallel, nine lines of a New York or London subway map.

Digital Matatus map and routes - Source: Digital Matatus

GITHUNGURI THIKA TOWN KIAMBU ROAD 120 NAIROBI MATATU ROUTES

237

RUIRU TOWN BOMA ROAD Inbound 145 Route Outbound 116 LIMURU 36 From City Center 33 To City Center 48B BYPASS

Clayworks Stop Terminus City Center Junction

KENYATTA UNIVERSITY Kiambu Muthurwa Mwiki Dagoretti KENYATTA UNIVERSITY 100 17B 2 107D Githunuri Komarocks Kaberia 145 A line A F line LIMURU ROAD NDUMBERI 19C K line KIAMBU ROAD 45 120 4W 120 Ndumberi Jacaranda Sukari/ Kikuyu M COFFEE Kwale 121 ESTATE 121 34B 102 KIAMBU Mwiki Kayole Kawangware BANANA TERMINUS GOLF KAHAWA WEST Kahawa Wendani 17B 1960 46 Baba Ndogo Kayole Yaya L line L 106 WINDSOR B line

44 25 GOLF 1961C 46 Lucky Summer Kayole 116 KIAMBU Caltex Othaya 25A 1961CK 48 Mathare N Fedha Estate Lavington 115 Thindigwa 29/30 33F M line Ngumba 48A Pipeline Jogoo Othaya

RUAKA KWAHERI G line KARURA NORTHERN BYPASS 43 33PJ Pipeline Mombasa 48B CAR WASH/ Kahawa West Chiromo Uthiru 107 116 107D ZIMMERMAN ESTATE 44 33PM 22 Githurai JKIA 44 GITHURAI Kangemi N line 121 45 34 23 Sunton Lunga Lunga Uthiru

120 145 49 70/71 30 Ruiru Town Kikuyu 45 South C 100 LIMURU ROAD Ridgeways 145 12C 105 Eastleigh KPA Limuru H line Runda 6 12D 115 WANGIGE Kariobangi N Utawala** Wangige C line 14 33 118 Rock City Kasarani Corner Stone Roundabout Kayole Athiriver Wangige Academy Police Naivas EASTERN BYPASS

17A 110ATH O line KIAMBU ROAD 119 GASOLINA/ Eastleigh Kayole Kitengela Wangige Village Market Safari Park ROYSAMBU/ Nakumatt LOWER KABETE ROAD GICHAGI Seasons REDHILL ROAD KASARANI 17B Komarocks 17AKY 110KIT 103 REDHILL Roundabout Eastleigh Strathmore Mwimuto 108 145 Banana 103 49 KARURA FOREST 18C 14A Homeland SUNTON Dandora 11B Kenya School UN Gikomba Deep West

Of Government 45 49 I line 115 118 119 31 14B 11A 44 Dandora KWA NGWACII New Naivas Langata Ruaka 39 145

Lower Kabete 17B 32 15 line P 11F NGUMBA Huruma*** Highrise 43 Banana 46 Nairobi 16 KETRI AND KARI THIKA ROAD 106 LUCKY SUMMER Ruai Kenyatta Ndenderu RESEARCH INSTITUTES Roundabout Hospital FOREST GSU 129 GENERAL SERVICES 3738 34 107 UNIT HEADQUARTERS 25A Maringo Rongai Limuru Spring Valley 11F ALLSOPS MWIKI Police Station 116 DANDORA 10 BABA NDOGO Tuskys Kariobangi S 125 116 105 106 25 25A Kiserian Karen Dagoretti 118 RUAI D line 107 Choaka RUAI 23 126 119 GOLF Drive Inn 42 1 Kariobangi N KNH Rikana Joster

BYPASS Z line KIKUYU 42 Mosque NJIRU 26 KCA 7C 6 Muthaiga 29/30 City Stadium Dandora Kiberia Hazina 102 Spring Valley 29/30 MATHARE KARIOBANGI N 45 NORTH 31 32 J line KARI Muthaiga Police 25A 36 8 11 Westgate 44 26 Buruburu Karen Mama Lucy Mwiki Station 25 36 HEADQUARTERS CITY Utalii 14 NDUMBUINI 43 145 KARIOBANGI 20 NAIROBI Traffic Police 3738 58 24 20 Sarit PARK KANGUNDO ROAD Umoja Hardy SCHOOL HIGH RIDGE Headquarters 49 ROUNDABOUT Bomas Dagoretti ABC WESTLANDS Aga Khan JUJA ROAD KARIOBANGI SOUTH SAIKA UTHIRU 38/39 Kabete WAIYAKI WAY Deloitte Safaricom St. Marks 11A Hospital 35/60 24C 24 11B 18C 31 18C 3738 Ruai Ayani Ngumo South B 105 115 22 30 105 115 22 23 30 105 115 MUTHAIGA Mowlem

48 HURUMA E line 118 3738 19C2 KAYOLE

32 36 KANGEMI 38/39 32 Ruaka 33 Marurui Umoja/Donholm Komarocks Ngumo 18C 103 119 Museum 17Aky KOMAROCKS

23 17Aky 17Aky 107D ROUNDABOUT 19C2 33 Allsops Dandora 17A 38/39 39 145 Westlands Kawangare Ngong STRATHMORE SCHOOL 31 32 19C 17A 14 42 48A TOTAL PETROL 19C2 48 111 Wangige Kikuyu KANISANI 33 6 14 32 18C ARB. NORFOLK CIVIL Westlands Yaya Redhill Gasolina 48A 46 EASTLEIGH 1960 18C NORTH 129 48 48B SERVANTS 1961K Ruiru Thika MASIMBA 19C 48C 108 CHIROMO 17A City Stadium GM Athiriver Kitengela KREP EQUITY 1960 CITY CENTER 17Aky MAMA LUCY 239 48B GIKOMBA14K 17Aky University of Nairobi SEE ZOOM IN EASTLEIGH 69 110AK City Stadium Nyayo KAWANGWARE LAVINGTON 48B 48 Chiromo Campus 20 CALTEX KWA CHIEF 405 31 BEE CENTRE UTAWALA *44 lines also to Mwiki, Sunton,Zimmerman,and Githurai JOSTER **33 lines also to Fedha, Imara Daima, Highway, South

26 20 KABERIA 35/60 Greenspan Estates ***36 line also to Kariobangi Roundabout 21 Mutindwa Mall Uhuru BURUBURU GITANGA 48C Serena 38/39 DAGORETTI 6 MARINGO UMOJA JACARANDA CITY CENTRE VALLEY ARCADE CITY RIKANA 23 1960 UTAWALA

46 58 36 Greenfield Bahati STADIUM 19C2 Estate JUNCTION 121 Valley JOGOO ROAD 26 HamzaUchumi 38/39 19C 29/30

Road 36 11F 106 107 16 120 45 2 102 YAYA 1961K 1 10 DONHOLM 33 119 FORREST ROAD 25A 10 23 100 STIMA CENTRE ARGWINGS KODHEK RD 33F 33PJ 33PM 33F 33PM33PJ STIMA 44 17B NAIROBI 1960 29/30 25 NAKUMATT 58 36 34B Hurlingham 34 70/71 145 4W HOSPITAL 70/71 34 43 JUNCTION Adams Arcade 32 PANGANI Daystar 19C 03/92 NGONG ROAD 91 DONHOLM CALTEX 49 Uchumi - Hype/ iHub 1961CK 1 UoN NAKUMATT Nairobi 7C 405 11 33PM MAKADARA FEDHA ESTATE GATE A/ Gymkhana UNIVERISTY OF NAIROBI PRESTIGE YARD

69 107 SCIENCE CAMPUS 33F EMBAKASI Pangani Police Meteorological GOLF KNH Station JUJA RD 33 Jamuhuri

Headquarters COURSE 106 NYAYO 33F High School 6 14 32 46 STRATHMORE 33F OUTER RING ROAD NGUMO STAGE 16 24 111 AYANY/KIBERA 32

SOUTH B/MCHUMBI RD 34 11F11A 116 24 14A 33PJ 34 1615 33 Nairobi 8 33D LIMURU ROAD 24C Technical Pangani Girls

24C Mater Hospital 17B Secondary School Kiberia Uchumi/ 33PM 145 Training 33 Nairobi West Institute 46 45 126 49 Park Rd NGUMO/ 14B 12D HAZINA Hombe Rd Racecourse 125 Muslim 32 KENYATTA MKT 12C 118 29/30 44 11 Academy BLUE SKY/ MURANG'A ROAD Ngara Rd 1B 12C 33 1 25A Ring Rd 43 T-MALL MOMBASA ROAD 116 14 46 100 120 121 NAIROBI DAM 110ATH 33F 25 Airport Ngara Secondary 6 River Bank School LANGATA WOMEN’S IMARA DAIMA Primary KAREN PRISON 110KIT PIPELINE KARIOKOR KINYANJUI ST ST MARY’S HOSPITAL WILSON Murang’a Rd School ESRUOCE DR Carnivore Uchumi Hyper NGARA Kahama Primary ROUNDABOUT NGONG ROAD FOREST Langata Rd Hotel School 15 34 AIRPORT 33PM 34 Nairobi SOUTH C 7 LANGATA BARRACKS HIGHWAY New Ngara Hawkers Market 32 Langata Barracks 33F 4544

ESTATE D

GENERAL 1961K R

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Langata Cemetary / 2 23 46 14

Station 6 33

Kenya Wildlife Service 12D MOTORS B11 A5

33 1960 (KWS) HQ 33PM CAR 33F 44

7 48 30 43 24 14 GIKOMBA BOMAS OF 46 100 120 121 CABANAS 110ATH 111 1 17B KENYA 18 25 TERMINAL 105 11A 1 TOM 110KIT 48A 19 115 MBOYA ST 48B KOJA MAIN 35/60 46 STAGE JOMO KENYATTA 49 19C KAREN Uon Main Campus ODEON33 58 BLIXEN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 46 Lifestyle 33F 46 58 MUSEUM 46 MOI PUMWANI RD 33PM 7 33PM 19C 7 LANGATA ROAD Airport Junction 33 32 AVE 33F 44 Wakulima Market 7C 24C OTC

KENCOM 17B LANDHIES ROAD

19C City 33 BUS BOMAS INTERCHANGE/ Hall AMBASSADEUR19C 10 35/6038/39 STATION 34B 24 24C NAKUMATT GALLERIA KENYATTAHoly Family AVE 19C 34 GIRAFFE Basilica Supreme Court 23 City Hall Way 33F 1960 Jogoo House 43 CENTER 26 46 RAILWAYS 33PM 1961K Intercontinental 46 KICC Brookhouse 36 Ministry of Foreign School Wakulima Rd 33PJ Affairs VE 102 1 CUEA NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 1 58 UHURU HIGHWAY 1 Parliament Office of the 4W 126 FACTORY ST MOMBASA ROAD President Harambee Ave 33 2 10KIT NGONG 1 125 11 Nairobi 10

126 Sheria TH Railway 24C A MUTHURWA33PJ House 110 24 1 69 17B 70/71 126 125 HAILE SELASSIE15A 1633 Uhuru 8 TUK Park 14B14A 12D

ONGATA RONGAI 110ATH 12C

126 MMU 110KIT Data developed through a research collaboration between the Civic Data Design Lab, MIT; Center for Sustainable Urban Development, Columbia University; School of Computing and Informatics, University of Nairobi; Groupshot. Research funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. ATHIRIVER Data Collected by: University of Nairobi School of Computing and Informatics, C4DLab Paper Maps Illustrated by: 110ATH Wenfei Xu and Sarah Williams (Civic Data Design Lab) MAGADI ROAD 110KIT FOR FEEDBACK & MORE INFORMATION: 110AK http://www.digitalmatatus.com KISERIAN KITENGELA Created January 27, 2014

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This data collection work enabled us to publish “SURPRISINGLY, DESPITE THE AVAILABILITY OF this first-ever map of Nairobi’s Matatus1 in MAPPING TECHNOLOGIES AND THE CRITICAL January 2014. Contrary to common belief, the IMPORTANCE OF THE MATATU SYSTEM OF THE project demonstrated that the Matatu network was impressively well-organized and complex. CITY, NO ONE BEFORE US HAD TAKEN THE TIME A visual analysis of the network reveals how TO ANALYZE AND VISUALIZE THIS SYSTEM.” extensive the system is and also how overly centralized the system is in the city core causing urbanization and lack of economic opportunities, especially for some suboptimality in service. Surprisingly, young people, the informal sector remains a key component of despite the availability of mapping technologies African economies. Kenya is no exception: most Kenyan urban and the critical importance of the Matatu system areas rely on informality, e.g. in slums, transportation system of the city, no one before us had taken the time to (taxis, collective buses, etc.), street trade, etc. Where most people analyze and visualize this system. see a hindrance to development, the Digital Matatus partnership considered it as an opportunity. African cities could indeed become smarter by combining these existing systems that work even 2. A NEW VISION OF SMART CITIES with high degrees of informality with digital technologies. This constitutes the specificity - as well as the challenge - for African smart cities: how can they use digital technologies to optimize and 2.1. ARTICULATING TRADITION WITH MODERNITY: “INFORMAL 2.0” also transform informal practices, with a bottom-up approach that builds on local initiative, creativity and knowledge? While many cities are currently developing a wide- range of sophisticated IT projects aiming to make Unlike many “smart city” projects that use state-of-the-art technology their organization smarter, we promote a much such as drones, Digital Matatus relies on tools as simple as phones more modest approach: rather than importing and GPS technology – which are widely available and easy to use. expensive new transportation and IT systems, Choosing this kind of data collection tool was strategic in that it made often generating confl ict with existing operators our project low cost as well as more accessible and suitable to the and bypassing the local technology community, local context and people’s involvement by allowing feedback on the we encourage cities to draw on their own system. Going beyond the mere optimization of a city’s transport universities and technology eco-systems to better system, the project hybridized a traditional infrastructure with a understand and improve existing urban services modern tool. This constitutes a great lever for leapfrog innovation and – that are reliable and functional (as our map can turn into a model for African cities’ innovation strategy (and more demonstrated) – with very simple technologies. generally, for cities in countries with high levels of informality in their service delivery). Hence, in spite of recurrent pessimistic stances Most of the time, smart cities are built on a top- about Africa’s issues, our project adopted an optimistic perspective. down approach. Pursuing the objective of building The continent, far from being limited to catch-up innovations, is “the” ultimate smart city, big IT companies are sufficiently equipped to address the “informal 2.0” challenges, developing complex software and high-end perhaps in an even more innovative way than any other – as long as technical solutions dedicated to improving the it recognizes and takes advantages of its existing assets, improving way our cities are organized. IBM’s impressive technology and local knowledge and capacities. Operations Center in Rio de Janeiro (part of the company’s Smarter Cities Program and aiming at overseeing efforts in case of emergencies and crises) is one example of such innovations. A matatu in Nairobi. Source: Digital Matatus Similar state-of-the-art initiatives have been launched in Africa. Google and IBM, for instance, have been trying to set up innovative projects in several African countries for some years, without achieving valuable outcomes. These difficulties are mainly due to the fact that these projects are generally oversized and inappropriate to local conditions. The continent’s smart cities development has to be imagined differently, starting from the adoption of a different, more locally driven innovation framework. Our consortium strongly believes that the informal sector constitutes a window of opportunity for African smart cities. In a context of massive

1 http://www.digitalmatatus.com/map.html

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2.2. THINKING SMART CITIES FROM A SOCIETAL POINT Maps and easily used by application developers including Google, OF VIEW RATHER THAN A TECHNOLOGICAL ONE which now provides the transit app for Nairobi using our data. The Digital Matatus is not about technology but construction of the GTFS data was a time-consuming task; however, rather about understanding existing practices, these efforts were critical as they secured and strengthened the expectations and concerns of local people. When project’s impacts. One of Digital Matatus’ major objectives is now it comes to smart cities, technology alone should to make its data accessible to developers in order to enable them never be seen as the silver bullet: if one wants a to develop useful and user-friendly transit applications. In this technological project to work, it is necessary perspective, we co-organized in January 2014, the “Transmobility to couple technology with a larger user-centric Hackathon”, a 2-day workshop to develop new applications perspective. In the Digital Matatus project, this dedicated to urban mobility. So far, six trip planning applications use approach has been implemented through three our data (Ma3route, FlashCast Sonar, Digital Matatu, Matatu Map, main strands. Moovit and Transit App). We can also start using this data to more objectively measure the Matatu system performance. Firstly, we have always been convinced of the importance of engaging future users in the design Thirdly, our current challenge is to keep our map updated and useful process of such projects in order to get them through time. Matatu lines are constantly evolving: new lines are onboard and raise their awareness. Thus, from created, others stop, and routes sometimes change. As a result, the very beginning of Digital Matatus, we have we aim to improve the data collection tools and approach to data engaged and built strong relationships with local collection and make it as simple and easy as possible and explore stakeholders, from civil society to the Kenyan its usefulness in other cities. Data needs to be constantly updated government. Many of them have provided the and our initial data is now a benchmark that allows us, with each project with a favorable environment and/or direct successive data update, to see how the system evolves over time. In support: this next phase, we are focusing on improving the data collection and updating tools to make easy updates of the data in a GTFS format • Nairobi’s digital ecosystem: the project and hence keep the data useful. This is why our consortium recently has definitely benefited from the energy and teamed up with Google for a two-year partnership to help create innovation spirit of Nairobi’s vibrant digital and systems with local actors in Nairobi that can produce updates of the tech community ; data. In this initiative, we are encouraging users to suggest updates • The Kenyan government: the government, of the data/map and to innovate in a strealined way to create needed already involved in technological innovation (e.g. updates. By the end of this collaboration, a sustained system with it launched Africa’s fi rst online government data relevant data updated -eventually in real time- should be accessible portal in 2011) has also been very supportive ; on Google Maps and also to local entrepreneurs for their use. Open data for all is essential to the impact we strive to achieve. • Local academic sponsor: thanks to the involvement of the University of Nairobi, the This user-centric project has been made possible mostly through the project has been strongly anchored in the city holistic approach of the team in charge of Digital Matatus. Relying of Nairobi – which enabled us to rapidly move upon the expertise of three universities (MIT, Columbia University forward and spread our project within the and the University of Nairobi) and one company (Groupshot), community. the Digital Matatus team is made up of very different profiles: academics, technologists, cartographers, story tellers, designers, This strategic networking has been crucial, as technology anthropologists, public policy experts, etc. This diversity it enabled us to gain important support and helped to confront different points of view and to optimize the design enhance the spread of the data and map. Local process of the project – always keeping in mind our societal goal entrepreneurs were the first to use the data to and providing for ample input from diverse actors including most improve numerous apps that help people fi nd their critically drivers and users of the Matatu system itself. way around the transportation system and local planners and researchers are also using the data and map for enhanced home grown research and planning processes. Secondly, the objective of the project was not to produce a map per se: we wanted to develop a useful tool that could improve Kenyan citizens’ daily life. In this perspective, we made the decision “WHEN IT COMES TO SMART CITIES, to convert the geo-location data collected with TECHNOLOGY ALONE SHOULD NEVER BE mobile technology from a semi-formal transit system to the General Transit Feed Specifi cation SEEN AS THE SILVER BULLET: IF ONE WANTS (GTFS) data standard (a sort of “global” data A TECHNOLOGICAL PROJECT TO WORK, IT IS language). This was a crucial choice as it enabled NECESSARY TO COUPLE TECHNOLOGY WITH our data to be uploaded to Google and Open Street A LARGER USER-CENTRIC PERSPECTIVE”

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3. CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES as possible and also layer with other forms of data to create new applications and insights into the Digital Matatus – as it invites cities in emerging countries to system. Our team is currently developing further reconsider the way to innovate and to become smarter – still faces collaboration with Ma3route, a popular application some challenges. that gives trip planning information but also crowdsources information about traffi c conditions 3.1. THE POLITICAL CHALLENGE: CONFRONT THE TRADITIONAL TOP- and crashes reaching around 300,000 users. DOWN POLICY-MAKING PROCESS Beyond Kenyan borders, many cities (Accra, Since the release of the map, reactions have been very enthusiastic. Lusaka, Managua, Maputo, etc.) have expressed Many people and organizations such as UN Habitat or consulting an interest in the project and are at various stages agencies are using our data – which is a very positive signal. However, of replicating it. For the Digital Matatus team, it is from a political perspective, the project has received a rather cold exciting to see how well the approach travels and reception. Decision-makers in charge of transportation and urban what adaptations occur as it moves to different planning in Nairobi were used to a top-down and centralized approach, contexts. We are eager to share what we have and perceived our project as too innovative and perhaps, transparent. learned during the last four years with interested Conceived by civic activists willing to make cities more functional by cities and also create more of a resource center promoting open source innovation and data-sharing, Digital Matatus for them so they do not have to struggle as hard is radically new for the political transportation establishment. as we did at the beginning. In addition, we will Therefore, even though they appreciate the project, and of course face financial and technological challenges: just use the data and map, it has been diffi cult to get them onboard with like in Nairobi, it is diffi cult to raise funds for such the larger vision. Since its inception, Digital Matatus has not been initiatives in other cities and we will need systematic followed up by any specifi c public policy although it has raised public learning procedures on how this approach needs expectation around transit information services. This is surely a main to be adapted to different contexts and transit challenge and we continue to engage policymakers and engineers and systems. Despite these challenges, this scaling- develop projects to demonstrate the power of this approach. up phase is thrilling. We are convinced that we 3.2. THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGE: ATTRACT NEW SOURCES can learn a lot from other urban areas – not only OF FUNDING AND INVESTMENTS in emerging countries, but also in advanced ones. For instance, applications developed for Western Even though Digital Matatus is globally perceived as valuable cities such as Uber Pool (organization of shared and useful, only a few philanthropists and investors are willing to taxi) or Bridj (Boston-based pop-up bus service) fi nance the project which creates an open data commons in transit have some similar features to our approach, and we information. Until now, the Rockefeller Foundation has been the could take mutual inspiration from these ways to main funder and our priority today is to fi nd new investors from the innovate using technology to create more effi cient private and the public sectors. In Africa, there is a lack of adequate transit services that respond to real time demand. public funding to support and scale up initiatives like this. Ideally, governments take an interest in this grounded and locally anchored vision of “smart” transportation. 3.3. THE SCALE-UP CHALLENGE: STRENGTHEN OUR IMPACT CONCLUSION IN KENYA AND ABROAD Finally, our ambition is to scale-up our project, both in Kenya Digital Matatus constitutes, in the African and abroad. context, a breakthrough innovation that invites us to reconsider the more top Digital Matatus - and related applications that use our data - can down, standard smart cities framework. It have a tremendous social impact in Kenya. The project facilitates is crucial to follow a bottom-up approach traditional ways of travelling and opens new opportunities for citizens: to undertake initiatives with, from and for they can now use their phone to discover places in the city that they citizens. Local practices married cleverly may have never heard of and feel more secure knowing where they to popular technology to create data, are going. They can also feel empowered by suggesting new routes understanding, and service have huge or complaining about existing ones. That is why the reach of our potential for transformation that should be data and map needs to be extended and also used as a way to bring taken advantage of and built upon. Surely, transportation planning more to the ground where it belongs. With African smart cities will not be imagined a mobile and an Internet penetration of respectively 83% and 58%, and lived by IT corporations like Google Kenya has a flourishing digital environment but there is still room and IBM but by urban dwellers, local for improvement. The spread of smartphones in Kenya will also service providers like the Matatu operators benefi t the project: more and more people will be able to contribute and local technology entrepreneurs and upload in-time data to suggest updates to our map. Moreover, themselves. Digital Matatus needs developers that keep creating user-friendly applications relying upon our data to make our map as accessible

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