The term "smart city" often brings to mind tech-driven utopias, but it’s much more than just sensors and apps.
At its core, a smart city uses digital innovation to enhance the quality of life for all residents, making urban living more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.
A real smart city therefore should:
Integrate data-driven governance
Enable participatory planning
Enhance basic services like transport, water, and energy
Foster climate resilience and reduce emissions
Use tech to include, not exclude - especially in informal and underserved areas
Smart doesn’t mean high-tech - it means people-centred planning, evidence-based decision-making, and climate-smart design.