Smart Cities : Strategic Sustainable Development for an Urban World

Abstract: Global urbanisation trends and pressing issues around sustainability pose great challenges for cities. The smart city concept has been developed as a strategy for working with cities as they become systematically more complex through interconnected frameworks, and increasingly rely on the use of Information and Communication Technology to meet the needs of their citizens. This thesis explores the concept of smart cities as a potential urban construct that can address the social and ecological sustainability challenges which society faces. Smart cities are defined as cities where investments in human and social capital, and traditional and modern communication infrastructure fuel sustainable economic growth and a high quality of life, with a wise management of natural resources, through participatory governance. Through structured interviews with smart city practitioners and sustainability experts, the strengths and limitations of the smart city concept are identified and organised through the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD). Then, a Strategic Sustainable Development (SSD) approach is applied as a method to maximise the benefits of the concept, and to mitigate any identified limitations. This thesis recommends a planning guide, informed by an SSD approach, to help smart cities move strategically towards their smart city vision and also move society towards sustainability.