“Smart” is a Cyber Buzz Word
Hawking & Einstein would have trouble keeping up with this term’s branding umbrella. “Smart” is a swirling universe of interlocking cyberstrings: system, network, knowledge, power, self-regulation, transparency, efficiency, sustainability, individuality, comprehensiveness, inclusivity. Smart cities draw on all of these.
“Smart” is Open
The cat is out of the bag – never again will local governments hand down decisions like tablets brought down from the mountain. Web access has forever changed the parameters of citizen participation and the character of community governance.
Access to the process of governing is exploding onto the e-waves as cities around the world make information available online. Chicago is one example of a city using social media to expand government access.
And where governments do not open willingly, the people are forcing the door. The Arab Spring is a radical example of electronic resources facilitating stakeholder participation. The E-volution is a revolution as big as the printing press.
“Smart” is Value-Driven
Whether it’s municipal, corporate, or non-profit , “smartness” reflects the users’ values.
“Smart” is Efficient
When is Smart Too Smart?
The paradox of smart technologies is that by opening systems and networks – government, business, social, or otherwise – to a new magnitude of individual participation, it also subjects them to unilateral control. What makes smart networks efficient also makes them more susceptible to natural disaster and sabotage.