The idea of a “smart city” came out of challenge issued by Bill Clinton to John Chambers, president of Cisco in 2005. The American digital network manufacturer was fascinated by a project launched in the South Korean town of Songdo, a high-tech district stuffed with sensors collecting and processing massive amounts of data.
“Yes, but to what end? Bill Clinton would have replied. Why not use technological tools to make towns and cities smart and more sustainable?” Cisco then released a research budget of 25 million dollars to upgrade the Songdo project from version 1.0 to a smart city version 2.0: “A sustainable town, according to their own definition, which combines a traditional infrastructure [built islands, gardens, etc.] with technology to enrich the citizen’s lives”.

Each town has its own characteristics with very different objectives, emphasised Nicolas Monsarrat, Executive Director of Accenture France. A “smart city” is a town/city which uses digital technology to reach these objectives: Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to welcome pilgrims under the best conditions, or Neom [“the new town of the future”] to develop tourism. Dubai, to attract international talents and develop their economy, Helsinki, and in particular the Kalasatama district to make the town a great place to live.”

Each town has its own characteristics with very different objectives, emphasised Nicolas Monsarrat, Executive Director of Accenture France. A “smart city” is a town/city which uses digital technology to reach these objectives: Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to welcome pilgrims under the best conditions, or Neom [“the new town of the future”] to develop tourism. Dubai, to attract international talents and develop their economy, Helsinki, and in particular the Kalasatama district to make the town a great place to live.”

A new approach to the smart city – a version 3.0 – emerged a few years ago in European cities such as Barcelona, Vienna or Lyon. In compliance with the law, they share their data with the inhabitants while encouraging participatory usage. In this way, each citizen becomes an actor in the “smart city” either by producing data via sensors, or using it to propose urban services which take account of uses and requirements. In involving its citizens, it corrects a shortcoming, often criticised, which considers each problem in urban day-to-day living as a technological problem.
