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Fig. 3.1
Characteristics and factors of a smart city (reproduced from Giffinger et al. 2007 )
programs realizing the aims and objectives, which are characteristic of smart cities,
need to make use of ICTs. The above indicates at the same time that ICTs are not
sufficient to define a smart city, but still are essential to smart cities. In other words, if
it is true that smart cities are not just ''more investment in ICT'', it is also
undoubtedly true that smart cities do necessarily involve more investment in ICT.
This latter observation applies to practically all domains characterizing smart
cities.
If we consider, for example, the Smart Living factors (as listed in Fig. 3.1 ), we
realize that the ability to improve Quality of Life is dependent on the ability to
efficiently combine technology and information (data) to reach the stated objec-
tives of improvement. For instance, the objective to improve quality of life in
connection with the Health factor (which comprises inclusion and assisted living)
is dependent on the ability to provide healthcare and other services using inno-
vative ICTs, since information and communication technologies are a fundamental
means for helping the containment of healthcare delivery costs while maintaining
or increasing levels of quality of care and safety. Data transmission technologies
enabling remote diagnosis, including in wireless and mobile scenarios, are and will
be more and more important in the future for developing in-home monitoring, as
well as for offering more independence, security and autonomy to senior people
and people with disabilities.
Likewise, most of the objectives attached to Smart Mobility (and notably the
general objective of optimizing trip planning and management) appear to be
dependent on ICTs. For instance, public parking spaces can be more efficiently
managed, by guiding drivers to nearby free parking places through portable or car-
mounted devices providing accurate location information. It has been estimated
that by lowering of only 3 min the average time needed to find a public parking
place, the associated reduction in terms of CO2 emissions in a town like Barcelona
would be of 400 tons/day (Expert Working Group on Smart Cities Applications
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