Article
Smart City
Strategic Planning
With the rise of innovation and digitalization as the new drivers of growth, countries around the world are actively looking for solutions to balance economic, technological and social development. As data becomes more readily available in this day and age, governments are faced with a catch-22: how do they utilize the abundance of data to improve citizens' lives without intruding into their personal privacy, and how can they address social and environmental problems without compromising fiscal growth?
With this consideration in mind, governments have started to implement 'smart city' policies by leveraging IT infrastructure and incorporating innovative solutions in urban planning. Ultimately, the goal is for smart cities to elevate people's standard of living, integrate technology into the fabric of society, and achieve sustainable development in the long run.
The idea of 'Smart city' is about looking at cities from a new angle, developing cities with a new mind set, and extending on the construction of digital cities. It bears great significance for urban planning, management, operations and long-term development. In the early stages of smart city development in China, issues such as scattered design and autonomous administration led to the emergence of data silos and duplication in IT infrastructure. As smart city development in the past did not see the fulfilment of people and social needs as its ultimate goal, there arose a mismatch in expectations from the outset. Additionally, the creation of smart cities is a multidimensional and systematic project, which requires a high-degree of interconnectedness between urban planning and smart city IT infrastructure. Given that the development of modern cities is fueled by digitalization, it is imperative to consider both the application of cutting-edge digital technologies and smart technologies, as well as the development structure of a city in the process of urban planning.
