Smart cities collect and analyze data using sensors and other technologies, using it to detect issues and provide solutions. This technology may take the form of traffic lights which adapt according to traffic levels or public WiFi services.
Science and technology studies (STS) can assist with this goal.
1. Environmental Sustainability
Environmentally sustainable smart cities are quickly growing in prominence and have quickly become an area of academic study and practice. As such, their rapid rise has spurred the creation of a wide spectrum of research on these new urban models (see Fig 6). It investigates their interests, terminologies, developments, applications dynamics and trends (as shown below).
Sustainability in smart city technology can increase efficiency and enhance citizen quality of life. For instance, smart traffic lights can adjust in real-time to ease commuter stress; intelligent waste management systems alert trash collectors as to which sites require service most urgently.
However, new technologies can be expensive to implement and maintain, with their increased energy requirements leading to higher electricity bills and contributing to climate change.
2. Transportation
Smart cities use information and communication technologies to integrate traditional urban networks and services for greener, faster, friendlier urban living – this includes transport, water and energy management, building infrastructure management, waste removal systems and communication networks.
Smart traffic lights could, for instance, detect the presence of buses and trucks and adjust timing to prevent gridlock; or smart public transit systems could enable users to access real-time schedules and price information on mobile phones.
Smart cities have long been touted as a path towards sustainability, livability and democracy; yet critics of smart cities have voiced concerns about digital surveillance and corporate overreach as well as whether some of its big claims can actually be supported with data and technology.
3. Health
Smart cities prioritize health & wellbeing while taking community-wide issues into consideration when implementing digital initiatives, including accessibility and privacy concerns in an era of pervasive data collection, as well as reliability of intelligent infrastructure systems.
Smart city initiatives that prioritize health & wellbeing may also involve implementing systems that encourage behavioral changes towards sustainability, such as encouraging walking and cycling to decrease vehicle traffic and pollution levels, for instance.
Smart technology already allows us to track wellness data like exercise, sleeping habits and nutrition, which can be used to enhance preventative methods in healthcare. Unfortunately, sensor malfunctions or transmission errors could skew this data’s accuracy, so quality control and validation processes may help mitigate risks.
4. Education
Smart cities provide citizens with easy access to information and data needed for making sound decisions, necessitating a new type of education that meets this demand.
At its core lies digital skills training, entrepreneurship support and equal access to employment opportunities. Furthermore, sustainable solutions that reduce environmental impact while simultaneously growing the economy are promoted.
Residents must be included in any smart city initiative planning process to ensure its goals align with their needs and expectations. This can be accomplished through public meetings, surveys, workshops or citizen ideas gathered during citizen surveys. Citizen input may lead to efficient solutions – for instance increasing online service options – which can enhance quality of life while creating sustainable living conditions within communities and making integration of smart technology easier into existing systems.
5. Economy
Innovation occurs most rapidly in dense agglomerations where economic actors, skilled human capital and infrastructure co-locate – such as cities which are becoming engines for growth and technological innovation (Rodriguez-Pose & Wilkie 2016).
Smart cities require sensors to collect data, communication networks to transmit it and computing resources to analyze it, as well as computing resources to interpret its analysis. Once processed, these systems use algorithms to distribute control information to devices and processes ranging from traffic light switching that adapts to traffic volume to irrigation systems that monitor weather and soil moisture to predictive policing against break-ins.
Transparency is crucial in any smart city project to allow citizens to engage with the data generated. City officials should strive for maximum participation; otherwise implementing Smart City projects without meaningful citizen input could lead to dehumanization (Walkowiak 2015). Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) has been used successfully to identify patterns of conditions associated with certain outcomes.