What Make Smart Cities Really Smart?

All over the world, universities and independent institutions organize smart city congresses, symposiums and fairs, which encourage cities to get their smart city indicators to higher levels. In order to make their cities “smart”, local governments are interested in these organizations. In this regard, Istanbul has a special place being one of the most favored cities in the world to host such events. Currently, between 1 and 3 June 2016, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality is hosting the Smart City World Congress. Kultur Inc. has organized the “Congress and Exhibition” with an experienced partner, Fira Barcelona.

What does smart city mean?

Towards the end of the twentieth century, as the use of technology was increased in cities, local authorities perceived “the information society” as an opportunity for development and welfare. The cities with technological infrastructure including various sorts of electronic and digital applications were initially called “virtual cities”. Later on, this definition evolved to the use of a variety of identifications such as “digital city”, “knowledge city”, “electronic communities”, “electronic community areas” and finally “cyber areas”.

There are many aspects of the smart city and it cannot be confined merely to the utilization of technological developments in city services.

Over time, digital cities have transformed into smart cities. Developments in information and communication technologies globally have altered the perception of the city enormously and this transformation has also broadened the criteria of definition for the “smart city”.

It is clear that the concept of smart city is initiated by information and communication technologies. But there are many other aspects of the smart city and it cannot be confined merely to the utilization of technological developments in city services. Smart city means more than this.

Smart cities empower the social and environmental assets by using the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). In particular, having social and environmental assets distinguishes these cities clearly from other technological cities. This concept is the next step of the new type of urbanization. Smart Cities: a) use resources effective and more wisely, b) reduce the cost of services, while improving the efficiency of urban services, c) let citizens take a more effective and active role in urban management, d) aim to transmit cultural heritage memory of the city to future generations by developing projects to protect the cultural heritage, d) introduce the preservation of green areas as a priority of urban planning policy, e) adopt citizen centered urban management, f) and are managed according to universal urban governance principles.

Synergy of human capital, social coherence and the quality of life are vitally important in smart cities and these can be approached through six components, namely Smart Economy, Smart Mobility, Smart Governance, Smart Environment, Smart Living and Smart People. For example, for Smart Economy, cities are to be strengthened with principles of entrepreneurship, innovation, productivity and networks, both local and global. As for Smart People, up-to-date education, inclusive society, and embracing creativity are fundamental. Likewise for Smart Mobility capital, mixed-modal access, prioritized, clean and non-motorized options, and integrated Information Communication Technologies (ICT) are needed.

Istanbul has achieved a good level of success on its way to become a smart city in many respects.

In practice, some cities are good at some aspects with regard to the services and applications. A city may be good at mobility with its services whereas another one may be good at governance services. But, in order to be a “smart city”, they must fulfill all of these six articles.