ASToN cities definitions of ‘smart city’
Throughout the course of our research in Phase 1, we asked the cities in the network what a ‘smart city’ means to them. Each of the city profiles in Chapter 3 of the baseline study give direct quotes from the city officials. While this definitions are given by the city representatives, at times they may not fully represent the official position of the city on the topic, because there is no institutional voice on the issue of smart cities.
The responses given demonstrate the variety of approaches and priorities that members of the network have for this work. The definitions fall broadly between three areas:
Effective urban services
Direct relationships with citizens
Sustainable growth
In the diagram opposite we have plotted the definitions (scattered on the three axis of the triangle). The distinctions between these definitions are not always concrete, with many overlapping.
At the core of all these definitions is the idea of cities using digital transformation as a catalyst to achieve their own ‘smart city’ objectives.
A note on the role of the local authority in the ‘smart city’
Taking all of the ‘smart city’ definitions together, the ASToN city authorities see their role as a central one. In the State of the Art, we explored the concept of smart cities and found that there is a plurality of definitions and approaches, which is what we have observed here, too. The difference here is that ASToN city authorities position themselves more as pivotal, active agents, and less as enablers or facilitators. The majority of cities have so far applied their own lens to their ‘smart city’ definition, which is one from their own perspective and less integrated with the vantage point of business, citizen, or other actors in the city. We will continue to explore with cities in the network what it means to be a ‘smart city’ and the role of the local authority within that.
