Where is the smart city concept evolving towards?

As we have seen in previous blog posts, the future of smart cities in Spain and around the world is very promising. It is clear that citizens relationship with technology and their environment is not the same as it was decades ago. It has also been demonstrated that any city, regardless of its size, wealth and location, can be labelled “smart” by implementing certain changes. Changes that, among other things, allow for better resource management and new services in the city.

Despite all the benefits that the smart city concept brings, there is currently no common frame of reference. Apart from developing it, all sectors that can benefit from these changes should be encouraged to do so.

In fact, in a recent study entitled “The Development of the Smart City”, the consultancy firm Roland Berger concluded that the cities with the best scores in this regard were very diverse in terms of wealth, size or geographical location. After studying the reality of 87 smart cities around the world, the study states that it is not about being rich or big, it is about being smart. It highlights the importance of establishing a global methodology so that smart cities around the world are connected to each other. This is something we at Dinycon are very clear about.

Strategies need to be put in place that are not only focused on issues related to mobility, energy and public services. More attention should be paid to other aspects such as education, health and housing.

The future of smart cities also depends on improving digitisation processes. Especially considering the need to strike a balance between the three aspects that make up the strategy common to all smart cities in the world: broad fields of action, strategic planning and the development of technological infrastructures.