Cities towards … sustainability: The critical issues, the challenges, the lines of action

Abstract

In the contemporary debate on the “sustainable city” and above all in the political and governance repercussions, the existing technical possibilities to counteract the problems of the cities (pollution, congestion, diseconomies, immigration …) continue to be highlighted. The challenge underway since the mid-1980s is to maintain the characterizing functions in urban centers without compromising the environment and quality of life, not only for current inhabitants, but above all for future generations. To do this, it is necessary to reduce traffic, pollution, optimize the use of resources, guarantee access to services to different categories of users, ensure that there is the possibility of residence, job mobility, security. In essence, building an inclusive city. The indicators make a great contribution and a decisive boost to sustainability thanks to technology. The cities of the future are now designed as large hyper-connected ecosystems, dotted with sensors and devices capable of collecting and processing a huge amount of data necessary for the services to be provided. Big Data presents itself as the beating heart of the smart city and can contribute enormously to the management of the main urban criticalities, from traffic to security.