This book discusses smart city implementation in 11 smart cities — Auckland, Boston, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Melbourne, Milan, Seoul, Tokyo, and Vancouver. The cities encompass a range of smart city development on selected critical issues in economic prosperity (future digital economy, smart retail, smart tourism), social inclusion (digital inclusion, digital placemaking, smart health service, smart youth empowerment), and environmental sustainability (climate resilience action, circular economy, smart climate action). The focus is on their challenges and course of action in and around the socio-technical systems and processes of sustainability transition. The chapters focus on emerging issues, enabling technologies, practical approaches, policies and case studies. The analysis recognises that smart city development takes place in a social context that, to some degree, will influence the adoption and effectiveness of technologies and ultimately, determine whether they meet end-user satisfaction. Smart city development is pivoted on technological changes, connectivity, and data, but also on people and government involvement and the transformation of urban living practices and conditions. This book aims to deepen dialogues on possible smart city strategies from the perspective of how people, organisations (e.g., processes, communication networks), and technologies interact to achieve individual, organisational, or societal goals.
