There is a lack of consensus on what 'smart' means and how cities should approach this agenda.
Becoming 'smart' means different things to different audiences, and this is causing confusion in the market, meaning that cities have no clear sense of which issues they should focus on and which technologies they should implement.
Broad definition
The UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) considers smart cities a process rather than a static outcome, in which increased citizen engagement, hard infrastructure, social capital and digital technologies make cities more liveable, resilient and better able to respond to challenges. [1]
The British Standards Institute (BSI) defines the term as "the effective integration of physical, digital and human systems in the built environment to deliver sustainable, prosperous and inclusive future for its citizens". [2]
Data-Driven Definitions
IBM defines a smart city as "one that makes optimal use of all the interconnected information available today to better understand and control its operations and optimize the use of limited resources". [3]
Cisco defines smart cities as those who adopt "scalable solutions that take advantage of information and communications technology (ICT) to increase efficiencies, reduce costs, and enhance quality of life". [4]
Citizen-focused Definitions
UK citizens tend to consider a smart city as clean, friendly and has good transport connections. Other words they associate with smart cities (although less frequently) include "technology", "connected", "internet" and "modern". [5]
According to the Manchester Digital Development agency, a 'smart city' means 'smart citizens', where citizens have all the information they need to make informed choices about their lifestyle, work and travel options". [6]
Summary
Cities should find their own definition of what 'smart' means, mainly by:
- Integrating smarter technologies with their economic development and public services plans and considering how technology or use of data might help them achieve existing objectives more effectively
- Focusing on pragmatic approaches
- Adopting a participatory approach to setting and delivering strategies and initiatives.
Literature Sources
- BIS (2013), Smart Cities Background Paper, London: Department for Business Innovation and Skills
- BSI (2014), Smart cities framework: Guide to establishing strategies for smart cities and communities, PAS 181:2014
- Cosgrove M & al, (2011), Smart Cities series: introducing the IBM city operations and management solutions. IBM.
- Falconer G & Mitchell Sh (2012), Smart City Framework A Systematic Process for Enabling Smart+Connected Communities
- Duckenfield T (2014), What people want from their cities, Connected Cities 2014, London: Steer Davies Gleave
- MDDA website