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Merlin Chatwin
Merlin Chatwin (he/him) received his PhD from the University of Western Ontario in the Geography Department. His research area is urban policy and local governance with a specific focus on inclusive civic participation in distinct geographies. In 2018, Merlin was awarded the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship, and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship. Merlin recently brought his significant experience in developing strategic alliances in governance, data, technology and education sectors to Open North when he joined as the Executive Director.
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Canada’s smart tech future: Open cities or opaque surveillance?
New research shows that police forces across Canada are building extensive digital surveillance hubs without any public engagement. Smart city projects use very similar technologies with the same dangers, yet here residents and municipalities are increasingly implementing Open Smart City principles to avoid potential harms and strengthen public oversight. The police should not be exempt from democratic accountability and the same principles can be applied to them to rebuild it.
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