Christoph Bieber, born 1970 in Laubach/Hesse is Professor of Political Science at the NRW School of Governance, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. The position is funded by the Johann-Wilhelm-Welker-Stiftung. His main area of research is ethics in political management and society. Christoph Bieber has published widely on the effects of online communication for political actors, a special focus is addressing the effects of digitalization for the US political system. Since 2018 he has been delegated to the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) in Bochum, where as a research professor he directs the program “Digital Democratic Innovations“ that runs from 2021 until 2026. On Twitter he is known as @drbieber.

Publications (Selection)

2020 |  The Impeachment of Donald Trump. Snapshots of A Polarized America. Wiesbaden: Springer VS. (with Klaus Kamps)

2017 | Beyond Obama. America in Search for the United States. Frankfurt/M.: Campus. (with Klaus Kamps)
2012 | Among Pirates. Explorations of a New Political Arena. Bielefeld, Transcript. (mit Claus Leggewie)

2010 | Digital Politics. Adresssing the Voter Online. Salzhemmendorf: Blumenkamp.

1999 | Political Projects on the Internet. Computer-mediated Communication and the Political Public Sphere. Frankfurt/M.: Campus.

Awards (Selection)

2007 | Justus Liebig University Giessen Award

2016 | Research Fellow at Vila Sul, Goethe-Institute Salvador/Bahia (Brasil)

Project Description

Ethical Aspects of the Smart City

The digitalization of urban spaces implies a set of moral questions, which are usually neglected in the technology-centric discourse about „Smart Cities“. Core elements of digital ethics provide entry points for broadening this debate: Data, algorithms and corresponding practices have an impact on the design of public space and bring change and innovation into the fabric of urban life. Shadowed by often inclompete juridicial frameworks, ethical consulting organizations and ethics guidelines address moral-oriented problems of the Smart City by the means of codified processes. The interconnection of these two strategies of governance is a key dimension of modern urban policy, yet it is almost non-existent. Los Angeles is one of the most digitally networked Cities in the US – the fellowship executes a case study to describe how an ethical Smart City-policy, which is respecting dignity and autonomy of city dwellers, can be developed and implemented.