Four Strategies to Deliver on a Smart City Vision in 2018

“Almost five years ago, amidst the initial hype of the technology-driven “smart city,” Brookings published a report urging cities to take a step back. While talking to the early digital pioneers within city government, these leaders expressed to them that technological development was happening faster than their agencies could keep up. In response, Brookings proposed judging “smartness” by whether places had developed a clear vision to guide their digital future, rather than by how many sensors and software systems they had installed.”

“Since Brookings report was published, public and private consensus has caught up. Public officials and technology developers now consistently start smart city conversations with a focus on place-based outcomes. At the national level, we can see this through calls to focus on people and redefine citizen engagement. In specific cities, like Kansas City and Boston, grand strategies and guiding principles undergird major projects.”

FULL REPORT as published on August 20, 2018 by Brookings.