Towards the smart city 2.0: Empirical evidence of using smartness as a tool for tackling social challenges

• Published in: Technological forecasting & social change Vol. 142; pp. 117 - 128
• Main Author: Trencher, Gregory
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Elsevier Inc 01.05.2019; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Cities; Citizen participation; Collaborative governance; Economic analysis; Empirical analysis; ICT; Information technology; Needs; Needs-driven; Participation; Reality; Smart cities; Smart city; Social challenges; Social problems; Telecommunications; Urbanization; Social problems; Social challenges; Needs-driven; Collaborative governance; ICT; Citizen participation; Smart city
• ISSN: 0040-1625; 1873-5509
• DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2018.07.033

While scholars critique the first-generation of the corporate smart city for failing to tackle people-oriented agendas and authentically respond to the needs of residents, many point to a potential to move beyond narrow environmental and economic objectives and tackle social issues. But concrete empirical evidence of this potential is visibly lacking. In parallel, researchers have brought attention to the emergence of the so-called ‘smart city 2.0’. This is framed as a decentralised, people-centric approach where smart technologies are employed as tools to tackle social problems, address resident needs and foster collaborative participation. This contrasts to the techno-economic and centralised approach of the dominating ‘smart city 1.0’ or first-generation paradigm, which is primarily focused on diffusing smart technologies for corporate and economic interests. Utilising this dichotomy as an analytical framework, this paper examines Aizuwakamatsu Smart City in Fukushima, Japan to demonstrate how a smart city can be framed and implemented as a tool for tackling endogenous social challenges. Findings unearth a myriad of novel approaches to utilising data and ICT to respond to resident needs, improve livelihoods and widely share smart city benefits. Yet they also point to a need to transcend polarised discourses around alternative models of smart cities and appreciate the messy reality of hybrid, on-the-ground smart urbanisation and the co-existence of contrasting yet complementary visions and approaches. •The first-generation of smart cities fail to advance social agendas and address resident needs•The second-generation ‘smart city 2.0’ is people-centric, using technologies to tackle social problems•This paper examines smart city 2.0 practices in Aizuwakamatsu Smart City in Fukushima, Japan•Findings show how smartness can be framed and implemented to tackle social challenges and resident needs•Findings also demand appreciation for co-existing and contrasting visions and approaches