Levers for Strengthening Citizen Involvement in the Governance of AI Applied to Urban Mobility in the Greater Montréal Metropolitan Area
A policy synthesis identifying levers for deepening citizen participation in the governance of AI-driven urban mobility systems
AI is increasingly reshaping urban mobility through intelligent transportation systems, yet the governance of these systems remains largely technocratic. While smart city initiatives have been reframed as “citizen-centred,” actual citizen involvement in AI governance continues to be limited to passive consultations, creating significant asymmetries between technical experts and the public. This research examines what levers can strengthen citizen involvement in the governance of AI applied to urban mobility in the Greater Montréal Metropolitan Area.
Drawing on 24 semi-structured interviews with four stakeholder groups — government actors, experts, organizations, and citizens — the study uses qualitative content analysis through NVIVO15 to identify recurring themes across participants. The research identifies three principal levers shared across all groups. First, the format of participation: current public consultation formats are seen as too technical, punctual, and symbolic; participants advocate for more dynamic, accessible, and continuous mechanisms such as participatory workshops, citizen committees, and online platforms. Second, digital education: the opacity of AI systems limits engagement; increasing algorithmic literacy is considered a prerequisite for meaningful participation. Third, the inclusion of marginalized groups: AI tools for mobility risk reproducing and deepening existing inequalities through biased data and underrepresentation; inclusive governance is thus positioned as both a social justice imperative and a condition for responsible AI.
These findings contribute to emerging literature on participatory AI governance in smart cities and provide concrete tools for municipal actors, organizations, and researchers seeking to place citizens at the centre of AI integration policies in urban mobility.
Keywords: citizen participation; AI governance; urban mobility; smart city; digital education; marginalized groups; algorithmic equity; Montréal.
