Paper Number
ECIS2026-2573
Paper Type
CRP
Abstract
Extreme heat poses increasing risks to urban populations, yet current monitoring infrastructures fail to capture local micro-climate variations and the individual human context of heat exposure. This study applies a Design Science Research (DSR) approach to develop and evaluate the Heat Companion, a context-aware participatory sensing system that integrates wearable environmental sensors, a mobile application, and on-device adaptive feedback. Grounded in Prosumer Theory and the Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs) framework, the system enables citizens to act simultaneously as data producers and beneficiaries of context-specific recommendations. A two-week field study demonstrated the artifact’s technical reliability, usability, and capacity to sustain engagement through adaptive reciprocal feedback. Our insights refine six design requirements for citizen-centric Green Information Systems (Green IS) emphasizing adaptive timing, contextual relevance, and low-friction interaction. This study contributes prescriptive design knowledge on how context-aware participatory systems can strengthen urban climate resilience by linking micro-scale environmental sensing with individual adaptive behaviors.
Recommended Citation
von Heyden, Niklas; Kuhlmeier, Florian Onur; Parsons, Jeffrey; and Maedche, Alexander, "A Context-Aware Urban Heat Companion For Prosumer Participatory Sensing And Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention" (2026). ECIS 2026 Proceedings. 17.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2026/is_resil/isresilience/17
A Context-Aware Urban Heat Companion For Prosumer Participatory Sensing And Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention
Extreme heat poses increasing risks to urban populations, yet current monitoring infrastructures fail to capture local micro-climate variations and the individual human context of heat exposure. This study applies a Design Science Research (DSR) approach to develop and evaluate the Heat Companion, a context-aware participatory sensing system that integrates wearable environmental sensors, a mobile application, and on-device adaptive feedback. Grounded in Prosumer Theory and the Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs) framework, the system enables citizens to act simultaneously as data producers and beneficiaries of context-specific recommendations. A two-week field study demonstrated the artifact’s technical reliability, usability, and capacity to sustain engagement through adaptive reciprocal feedback. Our insights refine six design requirements for citizen-centric Green Information Systems (Green IS) emphasizing adaptive timing, contextual relevance, and low-friction interaction. This study contributes prescriptive design knowledge on how context-aware participatory systems can strengthen urban climate resilience by linking micro-scale environmental sensing with individual adaptive behaviors.