Smart City
Encyclopedia
Urban performance currently depends not only on the city's endowment of hard infrastructure ('physical capital'), but also, and increasingly so, on the availability and quality of knowledge communication and social infrastructure ('intellectual and social capital').
The latter form of capital is decisive for urban competitiveness. It is against this background that the concept of the "smart city" has been introduced as a strategic device to encompass modern urban production factors in a common framework and to highlight the growing importance of Information and Communication Technologies
(ICTs), social
and environmental capital in profiling the competitiveness of cities.
The significance of these two assets - social and environmental capital - itself goes a long way to distinguish smart cities from their more technology-laden counterparts, drawing a clear line between them and what goes under the name of either digital
or intelligent cities
.
Smart(er) cities has also been used as a marketing concept by companies and by cities.
These axes are: a smart economy; smart mobility; a smart environment; smart people; smart living; and, finally, smart governance. These six axes connect with traditional regional and neoclassical theories of urban growth and development. In particular, the axes are based - respectively - on theories of regional competitiveness, transport and ICT
economics, natural resources, human and social capital, quality of life, and participation of citizens in the governance of cities.
A city can be defined as ‘smart’ when investments in human and social capital and traditional (transport) and modern (ICT) communication infrastructure fuel sustainable economic development
and a high quality of life, with a wise management of natural resources, through participatory governance.
or intelligent city.
Its main focus is still on the role of ICT infrastructure, but much research has also been carried out on the role of human capital/education, social and relational capital and environmental interest as important drivers of urban growth.
The European Union
(EU), in particular, has devoted constant efforts to devising a strategy for achieving urban growth in a smart sense for its metropolitan city-regions.
Other international institutions and thinktanks also believe in a wired, ICT-driven form of development. The Intelligent Community Forum
produces, for instance, research on the local effects of the worldwide ICT revolution. The OECD and EUROSTAT
Oslo Manual stresses instead the role of innovation in ICT sectors and provides a toolkit to identify consistent indicators, thus shaping a sound framework of analysis for researchers on urban innovation. At a mesoregion
al level, we observe renewed attention for the role of soft communication infrastructure in determining economic performance.
The availability and quality of the ICT infrastructure is not the only definition of a smart or intelligent city. Other definitions stress the role of human capital
and education and learning in urban development. It has been shown, for example, that the most rapid urban growth rates have been achieved in cities where a high share of educated labour force is available.
Innovation is driven by entrepreneurs who innovate in industries and products which require an increasingly more skilled labour force. Because not all cities are equally successful in investing in human capital, an educated labour force – the 'creative class
' – is spatially clustering over time. This tendency for cities to diverge in terms of human capital has attracted the attention of researchers and policy makers. It turns out that some cities, which were in the past better endowed with a skilled labour force, have managed to attract more skilled labour, whereas competing cities failed to do so. Policy makers, and in particular European ones, are most likely to attach a consistent weight to spatial homogeneity; in these circumstances the progressive clustering of urban human capital is then a major concern.
where the term infrastructure indicates business services, housing, leisure and lifestyle services, and ICTs (mobile and fixed phones, satellite TVs, computer networks, e-commerce, internet services), and brings to the forefront the idea of a wired city as the main development model and of connectivity as the source of growth.
The critical role of high-tech and creative industries
in long-run urban growth is stressed. This factor, along with soft infrastructure ("knowledge networks, voluntary organisations, crime-free environments, after dark entertainment economy"),
is the core of Richard Florida
's research.
The basic idea is that "creative occupations are growing and firms now orient themselves to attract 'the creative'". While the presence of a creative and skilled workforce does not guarantee urban performance, in a knowledge-intensive and increasingly globalised economy, these factors will determine increasingly the success of cities.
This leads to an "underlying emphasis on business-led urban development",
creating business-friendly cities with the aim of attracting new businesses. The data shows that business-oriented cities are indeed among those with a satisfactory socio-economic performance. To this end, cities may design business park
s as ‘Smart Cities’: Kochi
, Malta
, Dubai
are all examples.
Local intelligence capacity is intrinsically linked to that of the knowledge-based economy where innovation and technology are main drivers of growth
and the collective community intelligence, which underlines capacity and networks as main drivers of a community's success.
This requires a planning paradigm pertinent for urban-regional development and innovation management, similar to the related concept of ‘intelligent cities’ (or communities, clusters, districts and multi-cluster territories). By developing sector-focused, cluster-based or more complex intelligent city strategies, territories can set in motion innovation mechanisms of global dimensions and enhance substantially their innovation systems.
and relational capital in urban development. Here, a smart city will be a city whose community has learned to learn, adapt and innovate.
This can include a strong focus on the aim to achieve the social inclusion of various urban residents in public services (e.g. Southampton
's smart card
)
and emphasis on citizen participation in co-design
.
Sustainability
is seen here as a major strategic component of smart cities. The move towards social sustainability can be seen in the integration of e-participation
techniques such as online consultation and deliberation over proposed service changes to support the participation of users as citizens in the democratisation of decisions taken about future levels of provision.
Environmental sustainability is important in a world where resources are scarce, and where cities are increasingly basing their development and wealth on tourism and natural resources: their exploitation must guarantee the safe and renewable use of natural heritage. This last point is linked to business led development, because the wise balance of growth-enhancing measures, on the one hand, and the protection of weak links, on the other, is a cornerstone for sustainable urban development.
People need to be able to use the technology in order to benefit from it (see absorptive capacity
). When social and relational issues are not properly taken into account, social polarisation may arise as a result. The debate on the possible class inequality effects of policies oriented towards creating smart cities is, however, still not resolved.
It is the issues raised by sustainability can determine the very notion of a ‘smart’ city in contrast to a digital
or an intelligent city.
is a specific technology that helps to create Smart Cities. The aim is to create a distributed network of intelligent sensor nodes
which can measure many interesting parameters for a more efficient management of the ville. All this data is delivered wirelessly and in real-time to the citizens or the appropriate authorities.
For example, citizens can monitor the pollution concentration in each street of the city or they can get automatic alarms when the radiation level rises a certain level. It is also possible for the authorities to optimize the irrigation of parks or the lighting of the city. Besides, water leaks can be easily detected or noise maps can be obtained. Rubbish bins can be smarter with Wireless Sensor Networks too, since they send an alarm when they are close to be full.
Vehicle traffic can be monitored in order to modify the city lights in a dimanic way. Related to this, traffic can be reduced thanks to systems that detect where the nearest available parking slot is. Motorists are timely informed so they can locate a free parking slot quickly, saving time and fuel. All that reduces pollution and traffic jams, and improves the quality of life.
The idea of neo-liberal urban spaces has been criticised for the potential risks associated with putting an excessive weight on economic values as the sole driver of urban development. Among these possible development patterns, policy makers would better consider those that depend not only on a business-led model.
As a globalized business model is based on capital mobility, following a business-oriented model may result in a losing long term strategy: "The 'spatial fix' inevitably means that mobile capital can often 'write its own deals' to come to town, only to move on when it receives a better deal elsewhere. This is no less true for the smart city than it was for the industrial, [or] manufacturing city".
The latter form of capital is decisive for urban competitiveness. It is against this background that the concept of the "smart city" has been introduced as a strategic device to encompass modern urban production factors in a common framework and to highlight the growing importance of Information and Communication Technologies
Information and communication technologies
Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology , but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of...
(ICTs), social
Social capital
Social capital is a sociological concept, which refers to connections within and between social networks. The concept of social capital highlights the value of social relations and the role of cooperation and confidence to get collective or economic results. The term social capital is frequently...
and environmental capital in profiling the competitiveness of cities.
The significance of these two assets - social and environmental capital - itself goes a long way to distinguish smart cities from their more technology-laden counterparts, drawing a clear line between them and what goes under the name of either digital
Digital city
The term Digital Community or Digital City refers to a connected community that combines broadband communications infrastructure; flexible, service-oriented computing infrastructure based on open industry standards; and innovative services to meet the needs of governments and their employees,...
or intelligent cities
Intelligent cities
The term intelligent city has been used with various meanings. At least five different descriptions of what an intelligent city is can be found in the literature:...
.
Smart(er) cities has also been used as a marketing concept by companies and by cities.
Definition
Smart cities can be identified (and ranked) along six main axes or dimensions.These axes are: a smart economy; smart mobility; a smart environment; smart people; smart living; and, finally, smart governance. These six axes connect with traditional regional and neoclassical theories of urban growth and development. In particular, the axes are based - respectively - on theories of regional competitiveness, transport and ICT
Information and communication technologies
Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology , but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of...
economics, natural resources, human and social capital, quality of life, and participation of citizens in the governance of cities.
A city can be defined as ‘smart’ when investments in human and social capital and traditional (transport) and modern (ICT) communication infrastructure fuel sustainable economic development
Smart growth
Smart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in compact walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl and advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood schools, complete streets, and mixed-use development with a...
and a high quality of life, with a wise management of natural resources, through participatory governance.
Policy context
The concept of t smart city as the next stage in the process of urbanisation has been quite fashionable in the policy arena in recent years, with the aim of drawing a distinction from the terms digital cityDigital city
The term Digital Community or Digital City refers to a connected community that combines broadband communications infrastructure; flexible, service-oriented computing infrastructure based on open industry standards; and innovative services to meet the needs of governments and their employees,...
or intelligent city.
Its main focus is still on the role of ICT infrastructure, but much research has also been carried out on the role of human capital/education, social and relational capital and environmental interest as important drivers of urban growth.
The European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU), in particular, has devoted constant efforts to devising a strategy for achieving urban growth in a smart sense for its metropolitan city-regions.
Other international institutions and thinktanks also believe in a wired, ICT-driven form of development. The Intelligent Community Forum
Intelligent Community Forum
The Intelligent Community Forum , a nonprofit policy research organization, focuses on job creation and economic development in the broadband economy...
produces, for instance, research on the local effects of the worldwide ICT revolution. The OECD and EUROSTAT
Eurostat
Eurostat is a Directorate-General of the European Commission located in Luxembourg. Its main responsibilities are to provide the European Union with statistical information at European level and to promote the integration of statistical methods across the Member States of the European Union,...
Oslo Manual stresses instead the role of innovation in ICT sectors and provides a toolkit to identify consistent indicators, thus shaping a sound framework of analysis for researchers on urban innovation. At a mesoregion
Mesoregion
A mesoregion is a geographic region of a size between that of a city or district and that of a nation....
al level, we observe renewed attention for the role of soft communication infrastructure in determining economic performance.
The availability and quality of the ICT infrastructure is not the only definition of a smart or intelligent city. Other definitions stress the role of human capital
Human capital
Human capitalis the stock of competencies, knowledge and personality attributes embodied in the ability to perform labor so as to produce economic value. It is the attributes gained by a worker through education and experience...
and education and learning in urban development. It has been shown, for example, that the most rapid urban growth rates have been achieved in cities where a high share of educated labour force is available.
Innovation is driven by entrepreneurs who innovate in industries and products which require an increasingly more skilled labour force. Because not all cities are equally successful in investing in human capital, an educated labour force – the 'creative class
Creative class
The Creative Class is a socioeconomic class that economist and social scientist Richard Florida, a professor and head of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, identifies as a key driving force for economic development of post-industrial...
' – is spatially clustering over time. This tendency for cities to diverge in terms of human capital has attracted the attention of researchers and policy makers. It turns out that some cities, which were in the past better endowed with a skilled labour force, have managed to attract more skilled labour, whereas competing cities failed to do so. Policy makers, and in particular European ones, are most likely to attach a consistent weight to spatial homogeneity; in these circumstances the progressive clustering of urban human capital is then a major concern.
Characteristics
The label smart city is still quite a fuzzy concept and is used in ways that are not always consistent. This section summarises the characteristics of a smart city that most frequently recur in discussions of the topic.A stage reached in the development of infrastructure
This usage is centred around the "utilisation of networked infrastructure to improve economic and political efficiency and enable social, cultural and urban development",where the term infrastructure indicates business services, housing, leisure and lifestyle services, and ICTs (mobile and fixed phones, satellite TVs, computer networks, e-commerce, internet services), and brings to the forefront the idea of a wired city as the main development model and of connectivity as the source of growth.
The critical role of high-tech and creative industries
Creative industries
The creative industries refers to a range of economic activities which are concerned with the generation or exploitation of knowledge and information...
in long-run urban growth is stressed. This factor, along with soft infrastructure ("knowledge networks, voluntary organisations, crime-free environments, after dark entertainment economy"),
is the core of Richard Florida
Richard Florida
Richard Florida is an American urban studies theorist.Richard Florida's focus is on social and economic theory. He is currently a professor and head of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management, at the University of Toronto. He also heads a private consulting firm, the...
's research.
The basic idea is that "creative occupations are growing and firms now orient themselves to attract 'the creative'". While the presence of a creative and skilled workforce does not guarantee urban performance, in a knowledge-intensive and increasingly globalised economy, these factors will determine increasingly the success of cities.
A strategy for creating a competitive environment
Here, a ‘smart city’ is taken to be one that takes advantages of the opportunities ICTs offer to increase local prosperity and competitiveness - an approach which implies integrated urban development based on multi-actor, multi-sector, and multi-level perspectives.This leads to an "underlying emphasis on business-led urban development",
creating business-friendly cities with the aim of attracting new businesses. The data shows that business-oriented cities are indeed among those with a satisfactory socio-economic performance. To this end, cities may design business park
Business park
A business park or office park is an area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. All of the work that goes on is commercial, not industrial or residential....
s as ‘Smart Cities’: Kochi
Kochi
-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India...
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
are all examples.
Local intelligence capacity is intrinsically linked to that of the knowledge-based economy where innovation and technology are main drivers of growth
and the collective community intelligence, which underlines capacity and networks as main drivers of a community's success.
This requires a planning paradigm pertinent for urban-regional development and innovation management, similar to the related concept of ‘intelligent cities’ (or communities, clusters, districts and multi-cluster territories). By developing sector-focused, cluster-based or more complex intelligent city strategies, territories can set in motion innovation mechanisms of global dimensions and enhance substantially their innovation systems.
An approach to inclusive and sustainable cities
An alternative approach gives profound attention to the role of socialSocial capital
Social capital is a sociological concept, which refers to connections within and between social networks. The concept of social capital highlights the value of social relations and the role of cooperation and confidence to get collective or economic results. The term social capital is frequently...
and relational capital in urban development. Here, a smart city will be a city whose community has learned to learn, adapt and innovate.
This can include a strong focus on the aim to achieve the social inclusion of various urban residents in public services (e.g. Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
's smart card
Smart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...
)
and emphasis on citizen participation in co-design
Co-Design
Co-design is a philosophy in the American pragmatist tradition, which argues that all people have different ideals and perspectives and that any design process needs to deal with this. Co-Design traces its roots to Immanuel Kant, who in the Critique of the Pure Reason observed that to put a...
.
Sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
is seen here as a major strategic component of smart cities. The move towards social sustainability can be seen in the integration of e-participation
E-participation
e-participation is the generally accepted term referring to "ICT-supported participation in processes involved in government and governance". Processes may concern administration, service delivery, decision making and policy making...
techniques such as online consultation and deliberation over proposed service changes to support the participation of users as citizens in the democratisation of decisions taken about future levels of provision.
Environmental sustainability is important in a world where resources are scarce, and where cities are increasingly basing their development and wealth on tourism and natural resources: their exploitation must guarantee the safe and renewable use of natural heritage. This last point is linked to business led development, because the wise balance of growth-enhancing measures, on the one hand, and the protection of weak links, on the other, is a cornerstone for sustainable urban development.
People need to be able to use the technology in order to benefit from it (see absorptive capacity
Absorptive capacity
In business administration, absorptive capacity has been defined as "a firm's ability to recognize the value of new information, assimilate it, and apply it to commercial ends". It is studied on individual, group, firm, and national levels. Antecedents are prior-based knowledge and communication...
). When social and relational issues are not properly taken into account, social polarisation may arise as a result. The debate on the possible class inequality effects of policies oriented towards creating smart cities is, however, still not resolved.
It is the issues raised by sustainability can determine the very notion of a ‘smart’ city in contrast to a digital
Digital city
The term Digital Community or Digital City refers to a connected community that combines broadband communications infrastructure; flexible, service-oriented computing infrastructure based on open industry standards; and innovative services to meet the needs of governments and their employees,...
or an intelligent city.
Wireless Sensor Networks for Smart Cities
Wireless Sensor NetworksWireless sensor network
A wireless sensor network consists of spatially distributed autonomous sensors to monitor physical or environmental conditions, such as temperature, sound, vibration, pressure, motion or pollutants and to cooperatively pass their data through the network to a main location. The more modern...
is a specific technology that helps to create Smart Cities. The aim is to create a distributed network of intelligent sensor nodes
Sensor node
A sensor node, also known as a mote , is a node in a wireless sensor network that is capable of performing some processing, gathering sensory information and communicating with other connected nodes in the network...
which can measure many interesting parameters for a more efficient management of the ville. All this data is delivered wirelessly and in real-time to the citizens or the appropriate authorities.
For example, citizens can monitor the pollution concentration in each street of the city or they can get automatic alarms when the radiation level rises a certain level. It is also possible for the authorities to optimize the irrigation of parks or the lighting of the city. Besides, water leaks can be easily detected or noise maps can be obtained. Rubbish bins can be smarter with Wireless Sensor Networks too, since they send an alarm when they are close to be full.
Vehicle traffic can be monitored in order to modify the city lights in a dimanic way. Related to this, traffic can be reduced thanks to systems that detect where the nearest available parking slot is. Motorists are timely informed so they can locate a free parking slot quickly, saving time and fuel. All that reduces pollution and traffic jams, and improves the quality of life.
Critiques
The main arguments against the superficial use of this concept in the policy arena are:- A bias in strategic interest may lead to ignoring alternative avenues of promising urban development.
- The focus of the concept of smart city may lead to an underestimation of the possible negative effects of the development of the new technological and networked infrastructures needed for a city to be smart.
The idea of neo-liberal urban spaces has been criticised for the potential risks associated with putting an excessive weight on economic values as the sole driver of urban development. Among these possible development patterns, policy makers would better consider those that depend not only on a business-led model.
As a globalized business model is based on capital mobility, following a business-oriented model may result in a losing long term strategy: "The 'spatial fix' inevitably means that mobile capital can often 'write its own deals' to come to town, only to move on when it receives a better deal elsewhere. This is no less true for the smart city than it was for the industrial, [or] manufacturing city".
Examples of use
The term 'smart city' has been used in a variety of instances, including the following examples.Use by cities
- Amsterdam Smart City
- Cairo Smart Village
- DubaiDubaiDubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
SmartCity - Dubai Internet CityDubai Internet CityDubai Internet City is an information technology park created by the government of Dubai as a free economic zone and a strategic base for companies targeting regional emerging markets. The economic rules of DIC allow companies to avail themselves of a number of ownership, taxation and custom...
- City of Edinburgh Council for their vision and action plan for e-Government implementation and modernisation in conjunction with BT
- Kochi SmartCity business parkBusiness parkA business park or office park is an area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. All of the work that goes on is commercial, not industrial or residential....
- Malta SmartCity business park
- SmartSantander, which probably is the biggest Wireless Sensor NetworkWireless sensor networkA wireless sensor network consists of spatially distributed autonomous sensors to monitor physical or environmental conditions, such as temperature, sound, vibration, pressure, motion or pollutants and to cooperatively pass their data through the network to a main location. The more modern...
in the world. For the moment, 1100 wireless sensor devices by Libelium are installed, 400 of them measuring parking slots and 700 controlling ambiental parameters like noise, carbon monoxideCarbon monoxideCarbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
, temperature or sunlight. - SouthamptonSouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
City Council use it to describe their use of smart cardSmart cardA smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...
s as part of integrated service provision (e.g., bus passes) http://www.southampton.gov.uk/living/smartcities/ - Yokohama Smart City
Use by companies
- IBMIBMInternational Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
as an aspect of its Smarter Planet campaign – exploiting the increasingly instrumented, inter-connected and intelligent nature of urban systems to lead to a ‘smarter’ use of resources - Oracle CorporationOracle CorporationOracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
: "New Smart Cities Solutions Bring Efficiency and Transparency to Local Governments" (November 2009) - SiemensSiemensSiemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
have also used the term in their Stadt der Zukunft/Smart City project (2004) - Living Planit a smart city built from scratch, an urban laboratory soon to be built in Northern Portugal: http://living-planit.com/default.htm
Projects, conferences and research groups
- The Smart Cities INTERREGInterregInterreg is an initiative that aims to stimulate cooperation between regions in the European Union. It started in 1989, and is financed under the European Regional Development Fund...
project. - The Smart Cities Future Conferences in Salford, Greater Manchester, to create conversations that tap into the unrealised potential of open innovation and effective collaboration between universities, industry and government
- EuropeanSmartCities, a project which investigated the reasons behind why medium-sized cities, which have to cope with competition of the larger metropolises on corresponding issues, appear to be less well equipped in terms of critical mass, resources and organizing capacity.
- Smart Cities research group at MIT
- URENIOURENIOThe URBAN AND REGIONAL INNOVATION Research Unit is a University Lab in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Engineering at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. URENIO is a non-profit research organization that started its operation in 1995...
http://www.urenio.org Research Unit at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, offering also a watch on intelligent city research and planning
See also
- Cluster developmentCluster developmentCluster development is the economic development of business clusters. The cluster concept has rapidly attracted attention from governments, consultants, and academics since it was first proposed in 1990 by Michael Porter...
- The Creative CityThe Creative CityNot to be confused with Creative City, an urban development project in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.The "creative city" was a concept developed by Charles Landry in the late 1980s and has since become a global movement reflecting a new planning paradigm for cities...
- Digital cityDigital cityThe term Digital Community or Digital City refers to a connected community that combines broadband communications infrastructure; flexible, service-oriented computing infrastructure based on open industry standards; and innovative services to meet the needs of governments and their employees,...
- Intelligent city
- Knowledge EconomyKnowledge economyThe knowledge economy is a term that refers either to an economy of knowledge focused on the production and management of knowledge in the frame of economic constraints, or to a knowledge-based economy. In the second meaning, more frequently used, it refers to the use of knowledge technologies to...
- Knowledge spilloverKnowledge spilloverKnowledge spillover is an exchange of ideas among individuals. In knowledge management economics, a knowledge spillover is a non-rival knowledge market externality that has a spillover effect of stimulating technological improvements in a neighbor through one's own innovation...
- Mesh cities
- Sustainable urban infrastructureSustainable urban infrastructureSustainable urban infrastructure is a term used to describe infrastructure that facilitates a place or regions progress towards the goal of sustainable living...
- Triple helixTriple helixIn geometry, a triple helix is a set of three congruent geometrical helices with the same axis, differing by a translation along the axis. Structures in the form of a triple helix include:* collagen helix...
- Spatial intelligence of citiesSpatial intelligence of citiesSpatial intelligence of cities refers to informational and cognitive processes, such as information collection and processing, real-time alert, forecasting, learning, collective intelligence, distributed problem solving, which characterize "intelligent" or "smart" cities...