The Potential Role of Public Libraries in a Quadruple Helix Model of “Smart City” Development: Lessons from Chattanooga, Tennessee

Although previous studies on “smart cities” have acknowledged the participation of different actors in their development, there is limited research exploring the involvement of community-rooted organizations, such as public libraries, in specific smart city models and frameworks. In this article, we study the case of Chattanooga, Tennessee, to identify the potential role of public libraries in a quadruple helix model of smart city development. Our findings indicate that the Chattanooga Public Library is mainly contributing to building a smart Chattanooga in three different ways: (a) by developing smart citizens, (b) by enabling citizen participation, and (c) by providing an innovation environment. Thus, it is part of the fourth helix, but it is also becoming an important space for the collaboration and interaction of actors in all four helixes.