Smart Cities—Imposed Requirement or Preferred Life-Style

Abstract

World is changing: the increasing population constantly impacts the natural and man-made environment; therefore, the next years are crucial for the deciding in which direction our planet will move forward. Today about 1/2 of the world's population lives in cities sustaining the tendency of expanding urbanisation. Each city is different, determined by geographical location, history, and the people who live there and govern it. The best solution for one place may be not applicable for another. However, there is already enough experience of best practices accumulated to draw general conclusions and elaborate sustainable future development designs for cities. The paper summarises: different Smart City concepts proposed by several authors placing technologies, management or people at the centre; existing sectorial initiatives complementing the approach of Smart Cities; activities of the European Commission interlinking energy, transport and ICT offering new interdisciplinary opportunities to improve services reducing overall consumption; best practices of six different European cities in creating smart environment and living. The author would like to make the reader think over whether the smart way of life is imposed by technologies and governments or it is an internal necessity of an individual becoming the lifestyle of a whole community regardless of size?