Smart city/History of Smart Cities

false Encyclopedic articles belong at Wikipedia Overview thumb|291x291px|An example of how a smart city would look. The history of smart cities spans over three decades, evolving from early conceptual discussions about intelligent communities to urban transformation programs implemented worldwide. The concept of a "smart community" was first formulated as early as 1993 and was presented in the "Guide to Creating Smart Communities" by San Diego State University in 1997. This early approach formed the basis of the European vision of the "smart city" and was described in 2007 by the Centre for Regional Science at the Vienna University of Technology. Thus, the concepts of "smart cities" and "citizen science" have been actively discussed for over 30 years, with market players and public institutions viewing them as a common topic for discussion and a new area for cooperation. Citizen Science Timeline of Smart Cities Early Concepts (1990s) During the early 1990s, the foundational ideas of smart cities began to take shape through academic and policy discussions about intelligent communities. The term "smart community" emerged in 1993, marking one of the earliest articulations of the concept that would later evolve into today's smart city paradigm. By 1997, San Diego State University published a guide on creating smart communities, providing practical frameworks for municipalities interested in leveraging technology for urban improvement. In the same decade, Korea began experimenting with traffic management systems and launched pilot projects such as the FTMS on the Gyeongbu Expressway, demonstrating early practical applications of intelligent transportation. By 1998, South Korea hosted the 5th ITS World Congress in Seoul, signalling its ambition to become a global leader in intelligent urban systems. Technology-Driven Development (2000-2006) The early 2000s saw the roll-out of nationwide intelligent transportation systems standards and the introduction of electronic toll collection systems in various countries. Model intelligent transportation cities like Jeonju and Daejeon were established in South Korea during this period, serving as testbeds for integrated urban technology solutions. The development of Songdo in South Korea began in the early 2000s as a planned international business district, with technology and sustainability incorporated into the master plan rather than added later. This represented a shift from retrofitting existing cities to building smart urban environments from the ground up. In 2010, Korea again drew global attention by hosting the 17th ITS World Congress in Busan, building on momentum from previous decades. Frameworks and Standards (2007-2014) The Centre for Regional Science at the Vienna University of Technology described the European vision of the smart city in 2007, providing academic rigor to the concept. In 2010, ITS Korea was formally established to institutionalize intelligent transportation efforts and provide continuity to smart city development. In 2012, the People's Republic of China Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development carried out smart city pilot work nationwide, identifying 90 cities, districts, and towns as the first batch of national smart city pilots. These included the Dongcheng and Chaoyang districts of Beijing among others. The second and third batches of pilot projects were announced in 2013 and 2014 respectively, demonstrating China's systematic approach to smart city development. Global Expansion (2015-2016) The year 2015 marked a significant achievement in smart city history with multiple major initiatives launching globally. India's Smart Cities Mission was launched on June 25, 2015, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with a mission to develop 100 smart cities across the country. The initiative used a unique two-stage competitive city challenge process to select 100 cities, with each city receiving ₹500 crore from the central government over five years, matched by state and urban local body contributions. In the Philippines, Cauayan City began its path toward intelligence in 2015 under the vision of former Mayor Bernard Faustino L. Dy, when the Department of Science and Technology launched the "Smart Philippines" project to find partner cities willing to pilot digital systems. Cauayan was the first city to volunteer as a "Living Lab" for testing new technology. In June 2015, Kansas City signed a $15.7 million public-private partnership for its Downtown Smart City Corridor, which switched on with the new streetcar in May 2016. This included free outdoor Wi-Fi in more than 50 square blocks in downtown Kansas City, a light sensory network of 125 smart streetlights, and 25 interactive kiosks. Surat opened one of India's first municipal command centers in 2016 for ₹69 crore, putting its integrated command and control centre into operation among the earliest of the Smart Cities Mission. Regional Adaptations (2017-2020) Following the initial wave of major programs, different regions began adapting smart city concepts to their local contexts and priorities. In Cauayan, Philippines, although the early-stage systems were still far from complete, an experimental online payment system run jointly with a local university and DOST from the outset became an important rehearsal. This made Cauayan one of the few cities in the Philippines with an online channel ready to serve its people the moment the COVID-19 crisis struck. The lessons of that crisis were then used to accelerate the linking of data across every sector. During this period, city administrators announced smart city strategies or projects to raise the city's profile, attract investment and attract high-tech businesses, whilst companies were tasked with solving local problems in urban services. As a result, the solutions tested were often isolated, and the experience of digitalizing one municipal service proved difficult to transfer to others. Integration and Further Development (2021-present) The development and widespread adoption of information and communication technologies have led to the emergence of new forms of citizens' digital participation in socio-political processes. A modern smart city consists of a set of isolated, vertical solutions, and integrating these solutions on the basis of unified digital platforms has become a pressing and complex challenge for businesses and local authorities. Recent scholarship proposes a three-stage model of urban digital transition: from the Smart City, in which sensor networks and real-time analytics form the digital nervous system of urban life; through the Phygital City, in which physical and digital layers are experienced simultaneously; and towards "digital habitation," a condition in which physical geography ceases to be the primary frame of reference. This evolution reflects the maturation of smart city thinking from technology-centric approaches to more integrated human-technology urban experiences. Future Directions Recent developments show smart cities continuing to evolve with more sophisticated approaches to governance, data integration, and citizen participation. City administrators now view smart cities not just as technology projects but as strategies to raise the city's profile, attract investment and attract high-tech businesses. Companies are increasingly tasked with solving local problems in urban services rather than simply deploying technology. The focus has shifted from isolated solutions to integrated platforms that can unify data and services across municipal departments. Contemporary smart city development emphasizes not only technical parameters but also the forms of public participation employed, including information provision, consultation, and dialogue. Indicators of technical capabilities, the degree of public participation, and the public significance of the issues under discussion now help to assess the effectiveness of e-participation platforms and can be used in their evaluation and comparative analysis at the state level. __INDEX__ __NONEWSECTIONLINK__ Category:Smart city