The overarching objective of Smart City-zens is to foster (technologically) intelligent, innovative communities that have agency over their own data and actively contribute to the co-design and inclusive innovation process. The initial phase of the project focuses on The Market community, which is situated within the footprint of Smart Belfast.

At its core, our initiative is about developing a model for Inclusive Innovation, one that harnesses the power of technology to address community challenges. We firmly believe in empowering communities to leverage their own data, and as part of this vision, we've embarked on a pathway project designed to engage and inspire young people in research and innovation. This project involves a unique community-led sensing effort, partnering with 16–18-year-olds from the Market community in South Belfast. Together with the Market Development Association and ECIT, we've initiated a co-design programme to collaboratively identify and resolve local issues.