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Are you interested in how information systems help sustainability?

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Our summary today works with the article titled Beyond smart: How ICT is enabling sustainable cities of the future from 2023 by Hanifa Shah, published in Sustainability journal.

This is a great preparation to our next interview with Ryan Jeffery in episode 230 talking about the information and communication technologies’ effects on urban development.

Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how ICT can help the creation of smart sustainable cities. This article presents information and communication technologies, also known as ICTs, in a role supporting sustainability in smart cities, promoting effective collaboration and avoiding self-serving outcomes.

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Welcome to today’s What is The Future For Cities podcast and its Research episode; my name is Fanni, and today I will introduce a research paper by summarising it. The episode really is just a short summary of the original paper, and, in case it is interesting enough, I would encourage everyone to check out the whole paper. Stay tuned until because I will give you the 3 most important things and some questions which would be interesting to discuss.

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As cities grow larger through population increase, they face major challenges, such as climate change and resource shortages. “Smart cities” could be a solution, where technology is used to improve living conditions and manage resources efficiently. However, that technology alone isn’t enough; it needs to be integrated across all city sectors to truly enhance sustainability and quality of life. The goal is to ensure technology helps cities become more sustainable, rather than being used without clear benefits to environmental and societal issues.

“Smart cities” were introduced to address urban sustainability issues. However, the concept is often confusing and overly focused on technology, losing sight of the original goal of enhancing sustainability. Many definitions of smart cities exist, emphasizing different aspects like technology or infrastructure, but they generally lack a clear connection to sustainability. The dominant tech-focused approach is easily seen as driven by technology companies, which tends to overlook the actual needs of city residents. This suggests that smart cities have become more about deploying technology rather than genuinely improving sustainability and resident well-being. There is a need for broader, more inclusive research to develop smart cities that genuinely prioritize sustainability and the diverse needs of urban populations.

The study investigated how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can support sustainability in smart cities, using semi-structured interviews with members of a city council committed to sustainability. About 10 interviews were conducted, focusing on how ICT integrates with sustainability projects. The findings were thematically analysed to extract insights and were further validated by reviewing public documents from various UK city councils. The research aimed to understand and frame the effective use of ICT in promoting sustainability in urban settings.

Shah found different ways how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can promote sustainability in smart cities, emphasizing the roles of local government, ICT firms, and citizens. Local governments need to clearly understand and define what makes a city smart and sustainable. This involves identifying leaders, understanding interactions between city systems, recognizing needed changes, and effectively using data to drive decisions. ICT firms must align their projects with the city’s sustainability goals, understanding the impact of their contracts and meeting specific sustainability requirements. Citizens are essential for the success of smart cities, needing tools and information to become self-sufficient and to participate actively in shaping their urban environment. Together, these components ensure that smart city initiatives go beyond just technology, fostering sustainability through integrated civic engagement and responsible corporate participation.

ICT’s role in enhancing sustainability within smart cities hinges on the concept of “knowing,” which leads to effective actions. It’s crucial for all parties—local governments, ICT firms, and citizens—to have a shared and clear understanding of their goals and the necessary actions to achieve them. Each group has distinct priorities and interests when it comes to ICT and sustainability. Local governments focus on sustainability, ICT firms prioritize technological aspects, and citizens have varied interests, which might include both or neither of these focuses. Recognizing and connecting these diverse priorities is essential to ensure that ICT genuinely supports sustainable development rather than serving self-focused corporate interests.

To effectively support sustainability, cities need clarity on what ‘smart’ and ‘sustainable’ really mean to avoid broad, vague definitions that hinder understanding and implementation. The study found that strong leadership, clear organizational structures, and effective communication are critical in aligning ICT with sustainability goals. This requires visionary leadership that not only champions sustainability but also integrates it into the city’s operational and planning processes. Creating effective linkages is crucial, as it allows different sectors and stakeholders to see the big picture and work together towards common goals. These linkages help in forming a coherent strategy that includes all aspects of a smart city—from infrastructure to data integration, ensuring that actions are not isolated but part of a larger, mutually reinforcing approach.

Rethinking contracts and embedding sustainability requirements into them is also crucial. This ensures that ICT projects not only meet current needs but are also aligned with long-term sustainability goals. Additionally, fostering a culture of innovation within local governments and among citizens is essential. This involves enabling citizen participation in decision-making processes, which enriches the smart city initiatives with diverse perspectives and enhances their relevance and effectiveness. A balanced approach is needed that integrates technology with clear sustainability objectives and robust stakeholder involvement, ensuring that smart city initiatives are not only technologically advanced but also socially and environmentally beneficial.

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What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Do you have any follow up question? Let me know on Twitter at WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the transcripts and show notes are available! Additionally, I will highly appreciate if you consider subscribing to the podcast or on the website. I hope this was an interesting paper for you as well, and thanks for tuning in!

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Finally, as the most important things, I would like to highlight 3 aspects:

1. ICT can support sustainability in smart cities, but it must be integrated across all sectors and aligned with clear sustainability goals.
2. Effective alignment of ICT and sustainability requires shared understanding and collaboration between local government, ICT firms, and citizens.
3. Smart city initiatives should prioritize clarity, strong leadership, embedding sustainability in contracts, and enabling citizen participation to ensure ICT genuinely promotes sustainability rather than self-interests.

Additionally, it would be great to talk about the following questions:

1. What steps can local governments take to foster stronger collaboration with ICT firms and citizens in developing sustainable smart city initiatives?
2. How might we rethink public-private partnerships and contracts to better embed sustainability requirements in smart city projects?
3. What role can education and public awareness play in creating a shared understanding of sustainability goals and empowering citizens to contribute to smart city initiatives?
4. How can we ensure that the definition of a “smart city” prioritizes sustainability and citizen well-being over mere technological advancement?

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