The concept of smart city was born out of the need to find smart solutions to the problems faced by cities, that is, long-term solutions that will get to the root of the problem and be ready for the future. In a world that is becoming more and more digitalized every day, this concept refers to the use of technological solutions with a participatory approach in order to make cities more sustainable, more livable and more efficient by putting people at the center.
What are the key components of smart cities?
Smart People:
People participate more in social life, pluralism and urban culture become a lifelong learning process. Creativity and open-mindedness are encouraged.
Smart Environment:
With the help of technology, the sustainability of the environment and nature can be ensured, green areas and water resources can be controlled.
Smart living:
The scope of needs such as housing, security, health, education and leisure activities are determined together with technology, aiming to ensure social cohesion.
Smart transportation:
Optimal use of public transportation infrastructure is aimed at reducing the main problems of cities such as traffic congestion and air pollution.
Smart economy:
With the leverage effect, existing resources are used more effectively and bottlenecks in terms of finance, human resources or time are overcome.
Smart governance:
Decision-makers will use technology to consider the interests of all stakeholders and work towards a smarter use of resources for long-term societal benefit.
Who creates Smart Cities?
A smart city has many stakeholders from different fields of activity. In a smart city structure that puts people at the center, the main stakeholders are people, municipalities and technology companies. While people stand out as the target audience and user of the smart city, municipalities have a critical role in the management of the city and the delivery of services to people. Technology companies are at the lifeblood of smart cities with the solutions they offer to all stakeholders.
How do Smart Cities work?
People-centered smart cities are built on three pillars. The main enablers for smart cities to work are qualified human resources, relevant legislative regulations and regulatory infrastructure, and technology solutions. The working mechanism of successful smart city journeys is based on the robust construction of this structure, the identification of relevant key performance indicators for the city vision, and the holistic creation of smart city strategies and roadmaps.
Why Smart Cities?
Demographic changes, migration phenomenon, rapid and unplanned urbanization challenge the infrastructure of cities in many areas such as transportation, education, health, security, energy, water and waste management, and bring new bottlenecks. This situation makes the management of cities more difficult day by day and requires the most efficient use of limited resources.
Some cities have difficulties in creating new jobs and retaining the labor force as they migrate to other cities, while others may be unable to produce appropriate solutions in the face of the incoming wave of migration. For this reason, the use of end-to-end technological solutions for the benefit of citizens with the understanding of smart urbanism with the joint participation of all stakeholders will alleviate the pressure on cities.
