From smart cities to wise cities

Hambleton, Robin

Abstract

Global spending on so-called 'smart cities' initiatives, already soaring upwards, was given a rocket boost by the COVID-19 pandemic. This article examines this trend and poses the question: Are smart cities delivering what we want? The meaning of smart cities is revisited and three digital danger zones are identified: 1) The invasion of personal privacy; 2) The failure of smart cities efforts to enhance urban democracy; and 3) The growing digital divide that is now growing rapidly between those who can access to digital technologies and those who, for a variety of reasons are excluded. The case is made for moving beyond 'smart cities' thinking to embrace the co-creation of 'wise cities' - meaning cities with democratically accountable and inclusive governments exercising wise judgements relating to public policy.

• Journal Article Type: Editorial
• Acceptance Date: May 20, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Jun 17, 2021
• Publication Date: Jun 17, 2021
• Deposit Date: Dec 28, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 4, 2022
• Journal: IET Smart Cities
• Electronic ISSN: 2631-7680
• Publisher: Wiley Open Access
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 3
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 53-55
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1049/smc2.12012
• Keywords: smart cities; wise cities
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/8474884