Smart Sustainable Cities Definitions
According European Commission, a smart city is a place where traditional networks and services are made more efficient with the use of digital and telecommunication technologies for the benefit of its inhabitants and business. A smart city goes beyond the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for better resource use and less emissions. It means smarter urban transport networks, upgraded water supply and waste disposal facilities and more efficient ways to light and heat buildings. It also means a more interactive and responsive city administration, safer public spaces and meeting the needs of an ageing population (European Commission, 2021).
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Focus Group Technical Report (ITU-T, 2014) on 2014, was aimed to establish a concrete definition for Smart Sustainable Cities, able to be used worldwide, because despite the abundant literature, there were no standardized, commonly accepted terminology to describe a “Smart Sustainable City” (SSC). Such a standardized definition would help create a more defined structure in relation to ICT infrastructure, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), metrics and policies for SSC as viewed by ITU.
Some common criteria was used as a guideline, based on key attributes:
(1) sustainability, (2) quality of life, (3) urban aspects, (4) intelligence or smartness.
Core themes for SSC include:
(1) society, (2) economy, (3) environment, (4) governance.
116 definitions of SSC, from academia - research communities, government initiatives, international organizations, corporate - company profiles, user centric definitions, trade associations, standards development organizations (SDOs), were studied.
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Key categories or groups:
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quality of life and lifestyle
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infrastructure and services
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ICT, communications, intelligence and information
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people, citizen and society
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environment and sustainability
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governance, management and administration
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economy and Finance
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mobility
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Categories based on key indicators
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Terms included in the standardized definition
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ICT
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Adaptable
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Reliable
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Scalable
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Accessible
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Security
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Safe
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Resilient
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Economic
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Growth
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Standard of living
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Employment
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Citizens
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Well-being
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Medical
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Welfare
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Physical safety
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Education
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Environmental
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Physical - service infrastructure
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Transportation and mobility
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Water
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Utilities and Energy
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Telecommunications
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Manufacturing
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Natural and man-made disasters
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Regulatory and compliance
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Governance
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Policies and processes
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Standardization
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List of keywords
Table 1.| Quality of Life | Interconnected | Actively | Capital |
| Development | Information | Innovation | Operational |
| Services | Communication | Aware | Public |
| Buildings | Intelligent | Participatory | Solutions |
| Health, Safety, Security | Integrate | Efficient | Vision |
| Governance, Administration | Systems | Sustainable | Economy |
| Education | Advanced | Adaptable | Investments |
| Energy | Design | Optimal | Business |
| Water | Community | Environment | Competitive |
| Electricity | Accessible | Resources | Mobility |
| Modern | People | Natural | Transport |
| ICT | Urban | Utilities | |
| Technology | Society | Management | |
Finally, based on the above analysis, a proposed definition for a smart sustainable city was approved by the ITU-T FG-SSC as follows:
“A smart sustainable city is an innovative city that uses information and communication technologies (ICTs) and other means to improve quality of life, efficiency of urban operation and services, and competitiveness, while ensuring that it meets the needs of present and future generations with respect to economic, social and environmental aspects”.
Some other definitions:
ISO: a new concept and a new model, which applies the new generation of information technologies, such as the internet of things, cloud computing, big data and space/geographical information integration, to facilitate the planning, construction, management and smart services of cities (ISO, 2014).
BSI: the effective integration of physical, digital and human systems in the built environment to deliver a sustainable, prosperous and inclusive future for its citizens (BSI, 2014).
Anthopoulos: the utilization of ICT and innovation by cities (new, existing or districts), as a means to sustain in economic, social and environmental terms and to address several challenges dealing with six (6) dimensions (people, economy, governance, mobility, environment and living) (Anthopoulos, 2017).
On the IEEE web page (IEEE, 2021): As world urbanization continues to grow with the total population living in cities forecast to increase by 75% by 2050, there is an increased demand for intelligent, sustainable environments that offer citizens a high quality of life. This is typically characterized as the evolution to Smart Cities. We believe a Smart City brings together technology, government and society and includes but is not limited to the following elements:
A smart economy
Smart energy
Smart mobility
A smart environment
Smart living
Smart governance