Vizcaya bridgeI take advantage the summer to leave in a unified document the posts that I published a few months ago on the subject of smart cities, which have generated so much information avalanche in recent times. There were a few articles that tried to organize somewhat the different analytical perspectives on a complex issue due to the high level of attention it is receiving, the different approaches and approaches it implies, and the contradictory visions with which it is also beginning to be used. The passing of the weeks has made some of the things I wrote seem out of date, especially since market reports, concept papers and news about new initiatives have been published since then. Possibly find the time to update a few things; Meanwhile, I’m saving them in delicious.

That series began with a review of terminology on the origin of the term “smart city” and how it now seems to attract all the attention, suggesting that it is an advance on the term “sustainable city”. It is curious to see how much of the headlines in the media echoing this type of initiative could perfectly interchange either of the two terms and still sound like a new promise. At some point I have raised that it is a mere question of terminology without importance, but perhaps it is more important than it seems. In any case, the posts later focused on the review of the components of smart cities, their use as a commercial strategy, the ability to mobilize local technological capabilities in different sectors that can provide innovative products and services for urban management. And the series closed with a first approach to some critical points on the political-democratic derivatives and equality in access to new services.

Smart City. Emerging technologies for urban functioning

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