Smart cities
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Understanding Smart Cities: Definitions, Dimensions, and Impacts
Introduction to Smart Cities
The concept of "smart cities" has gained significant traction in recent years, driven by the need to enhance urban living through the integration of advanced technologies. A smart city leverages Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to improve the quality of life for its citizens, boost economic growth, and ensure sustainable urban development1 6. This article synthesizes key insights from recent research to provide a comprehensive understanding of smart cities, their defining characteristics, and the impacts of their development.
Defining Smart Cities
Core Characteristics and Definitions
Smart cities are often defined by their use of ICTs to enhance urban performance and competitiveness. Key characteristics include the presence of a creative class, high levels of education, quality urban environments, and robust ICT infrastructure1. These cities aim to integrate various urban domains such as transport, energy, healthcare, and governance to create a more efficient and livable environment4 6.
Dimensions of Smart Cities
Research identifies several dimensions that characterize smart cities, including smart economy, smart governance, smart people, smart mobility, smart living, and smart environment9. These dimensions collectively contribute to the overall "smartness" of a city, ensuring that technological advancements translate into tangible benefits for urban residents6 9.
Impacts of Smart City Development
Positive Outcomes
Smart city initiatives have been associated with numerous positive outcomes. These include enhanced citizen involvement, environmental protection, social development, sustainable growth, innovation, and increased social capital3. The integration of ICTs in public administration and urban planning has been shown to correlate positively with urban wealth and competitiveness1.
Challenges and Negative Impacts
Despite the benefits, smart city development also presents challenges. Issues such as privacy and security concerns, potential diminishment of freedom of speech, and the risk of exacerbating social inequalities have been highlighted3. Additionally, the lack of standardized governance frameworks and the need for empirical testing of conceptual models remain significant hurdles7 8.
Governance and Strategic Frameworks
Governance Models
Effective governance is crucial for the successful implementation of smart city initiatives. Research indicates that while various cities adopt different governance frameworks, there is no consolidated standard for smart city governance8. Successful models often involve collaboration between public bodies, private enterprises, and civil society to ensure inclusive and sustainable urban development8.
Strategic Directions
To maximize the benefits of smart city initiatives, a strategic approach that integrates resilience and sustainability is essential. Embedding resilience into smart city planning helps cities better manage disasters and extreme events, ensuring long-term sustainability and adaptability9. This strategic direction aligns with global sustainable development goals and enhances the overall effectiveness of smart city projects6 9.
Conclusion
Smart cities represent a transformative approach to urban development, leveraging advanced technologies to create more efficient, sustainable, and livable urban environments. While the benefits are substantial, addressing the associated challenges through effective governance and strategic planning is crucial. As research continues to evolve, it will provide further insights into optimizing smart city initiatives for the betterment of urban life worldwide.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic
Smart Cities in Europe
Smart cities in Europe are defined by a creative class, quality urban environment, education, and access to and use of ICTs for public administration, positively correlated with urban wealth.
Highly CitedThinking about smart cities
Smart cities are a complex concept with potential and limitations, and this issue explores their goals, ethics, potential, and limitations in urban modernity.
Highly CitedIdentifying the results of smart city development: Findings from systematic literature review
Smart city development can enhance citizen involvement, protect the environment, foster innovation, and increase social capital, while also potentially causing privacy and security issues.
Systematic ReviewHighly CitedA Decade Review on Smart Cities: Paradigms, Challenges and Opportunities
This paper provides a guide to smart city research, highlighting the importance of sensing, transportation, data management, and application layers for successful implementation and future trends.
Systematic ReviewSmart Cities: Definitions, Dimensions, Performance, and Initiatives
A smart city is a city that combines technology, infrastructure, and human resources to improve performance and efficiency compared to traditional cities.
Literature ReviewHighly CitedSmart cities: Advances in research - An information systems perspective
Smart cities use information and communication technologies to improve quality of life, local economy, transport, traffic management, environment, and government interaction, while also aligning with UN sustainable development goals.
Literature ReviewHighly CitedSmart city research: A holistic and state-of-the-art literature review
Smart city research is often fragmented, technology-driven, and lacks holistic perspectives on benefits, downsides, and empirical testing of conceptual frameworks.
Systematic ReviewHighly CitedGoverning Smart Cities
Smart cities need a comprehensive governance framework to improve city life and economic development, but currently each city applies its own governance framework.
Characterising Smartness to Make Smart Cities Resilient
Smart Cities should incorporate ten resilience dimensions, including smart economy, governance, people, mobility, living, and environment, to enhance their disaster resilience.
Systematic ReviewA literature survey on smart cities
Smart cities offer opportunities to address urban challenges and improve living conditions, but require a data-centric approach and key enabling technologies for successful implementation.
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