Smart cities: Utopia or neoliberal ideology?

• Published in: Cities Vol. 69; pp. 79 - 85
• Main Authors: Grossi, Giuseppe, Pianezzi, Daniela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2017; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Accountability; Business; Case studies; Closely held corporations; Companies; Elites; Exegesis & hermeneutics; Hermeneutics; Ideology; Local government; Neoliberalism; Samhällsvetenskap; Smart cities; Smart city; Social Sciences; Urban development; Urban planning; Urbanization; Utopia; Values; Italy; Genoa Italy; Utopia; Hermeneutics; Smart city; Neoliberalism; Ideology
• ISSN: 0264-2751; 1873-6084
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2017.07.012

This paper develops a critical understanding of the smart city by investigating the values and ideas that underpin this concept and how they are translated into practice. It suggests that, despite private companies and municipalities promoting the smart city as a revolutionary utopia, this utopia is, on the contrary, an expression of the neoliberal ideology. The case study of the Italian city of Genoa shows that the smart city utopia acts as a generator of a collective imaginary while promoting the interests of business elites and diverting the attention away from urgent urban problems, such as urbanization. The neoliberal ideology influences the framing of these problems by favoring business-led technological solutions rather than political and long-term urban planning. The study suggests that this business-led utopia has important implications in terms of accountability of the actors involved. •The smart city utopia is an expression of the neoliberal ideology.•Critical hermeneutics unmasks the ideological basis of the smart city utopia.•The smart city diverts the attention away from urgent urban problems.•The Genoa case shows the neoliberal roots of the smart city utopia and its shortcomings.