Saint Louis College

City of San Fernando, La Union

College of Engineering and Architecture
First Semester SY 2022-2023

SPECS. 01
(SMART CITIES)

SUBMITTED BY:
ESPINO, DANICA
JADORMEO, ELISHA GWYN

SUBMITTED TO:
ARCH. WINONA ELAINE SORIANO
SMART CITIES
As civilization progresses, more and more different discoveries of methods, strategies, theories and
techniques have yet to be develop and applied. Each methods still have other issues that can’t be solve
within a community so developers tend to find and discover other methods that can at least solve the
majority of the problems or issues that a community is experiencing or facing at present specially the
issue regards settlements/migration and environmental sustainability. Developers and planners within the
field not only tend to find solutions for present issues but also find solutions that considers the
assumptions of the future of a community or a city. One method or theory that developers and planners
focusing nowadays is the Smart City model. Indeed, upon hearing that word makes everyone think that it
is very high-end, advance, automatic, secured, costly and destructive to the environment. As if like this
word is only made for those individuals who are rich and elite. The method or theory of Smart city is still
being develop by the professionals within the field on how to apply this model in a lesser effect on the
nature, on how to make this model be how it sounded but with consideration to sustainability of natural
resources.
Before deciding or concluding whether Smart city is not or worth a try to be considered as one of the best
option method or theories that can be applied to solve the problems in the development of society,
community or civilization, let’s define and discuss further what does Smart City means and what is
special about it?
“Smart cities represent a conceptual urban development model on the basis of the utilization of human,
collective, and technological capital for the development of urban agglomerations” (Angelidou, 2014).
Smart cities represent as a conceptual urban development model can be explained in 3 key words
(instrumentation, interconnectedness, and intelligence).

 Instrumentation means all city systems are digitized to gather data through meters and sensors.
 Interconnectedness, these digitized systems are linked and connected with each other by turning
the raw data into useful information
 Intelligence, these information then used to identify patterns behavior, predict outcomes and find
smarter solutions to urban problems.
However, there are different descriptions of what a smart or intelligent city is that can be found in the
literature.
According to (European Union, 2014), “A smart city goes beyond the use of digital technologies for
better resource use and fewer emissions. It means smarter urban transport networks, upgraded water
supply and waste disposal facilities, and more efficient ways to light and heat buildings. It also
means a more interactive and responsive city administration, safer public spaces, and meeting the
needs of an ageing population”.
IBM defines a smart city as “one that makes optimal use of all the interconnected information available
today to better understand and control its operations and optimize the use of limited resources.”
One article claimed that, “despite the ongoing discussion of the recent years, there is no agreed definition
about smart cities, whereas strategic planning in this field is still largely unexplored” (Hollands, 2008,
Komninos, 2011a, Nam and Pardo, 2011, Wolfram, 2012).
Thus, Smart cities signify a multidisciplinary field, constantly shaped by advancements in technology and
urban development.
SMART CITY TECHNOLOGIES
According to the (The Welding Institutes, 2023), “Smart cities uses a variety of softwares, user interfaces
and communication networks alongside the Internet of Things (IoT) to deliver connected solutions for the
public. The IoT is a network of connected devices that communicate and exchange data”. It includes
anything related from vehicles to home appliances and on-street devices where all the data collected from
these devices is stored in the cloud or servers to allow improvements to be made for both public and
private sector efficiencies and deliver economic benefits to the lives of individuals.

HISTORY
One article stated that, “The concept of smart cities began as far back as the 1960s and 1970s when the
US Community Analysis Bureau began using databases, aerial photography and cluster analysis to collect
data, direct resources and issue reports in order to direct services, mitigate against disasters and reduce
poverty. This led to the creation of the first generation of smart cities” (The Welding Institutes, 2023).
The pioneer of smart city was brought by technology providers to comprehend the implications of
technology on daily life. This led to the second generation of smart city, where smart technologies and
other innovations were considered in creating joined-up municipal solutions. While during the third
generation of smart city, instead of making a model that involved the public and supported social
inclusion and community engagement, they took the control away from the technology providers and city
leaders.
The third generation model was adopted by Vienna who created a partnership with the local Wien Energy
company, allowing citizens to invest in local solar plants as well as working with the public to resolve
gender equality and affordable housing issues. The model where continued to be adopted globally
including Vancouver where 30,000 citizens co-created the Vancouver Greenest City 2020 Action Plan.

SMART CITY FEATURES

 Smart parking- helps drivers find parking space effortlessly and pay parking fee digitally.
 Smart traffic management- monitor traffic flows and enhance traffic lights to reduce congestion.
 Conserve energy use- ex.: streetlights that dim when roads are empty, automatic room electric
power shutdowns when accommodator leave the room, etc.)
 Combat climate change, waste management and sanitation (ex.: internet-enabled collection bins),
and air pollution.
 Uses sensors for early warnings when an incident or a calamity occurs like floods, landslides,
hurricane or droughts.
 High-end security and monitoring special areas with high crimes.
 Offer real-time space management or structural health monitoring and feedback to determine
when repairs are necessary.
 Monitor infrastructure problems such as leaks in water pipes, malfunction elevators etc.
 Improve efficiency of manufacturing, urban farming, energy use and more.
SMART CITY AS A CONCEPT
One’s article (2014) stated that, “the smart city concept assumes that a city should be a creative,
sustainable area that improves the quality of life, creates a friendlier environment and the prospects of
economic development are stronger” (Lee, J. H., Hancock, M. G., & Hu, M.-Ch., 2014). The concept of a
smart city covers the usage of technologies, gadgets, and systems with a consideration to the
sustainability and creates an eco-friendly city which funding prospects development are stronger.
“Intelligence as a distinguishing feature of this type of a city, should not be treated in the literal sense of
the word but perceived as the sum of various improvements in urban infrastructure, resources and public
services” (Allwinkle, S., & Cruickshank, P., 2011).

ELEMENTS
Smart Cities are defined by the following elements below stated by (Stawasz, D., & Sikora-Fernandez,
D., 2016):
1. SMART ECONOMY
It is measured by entrepreneurship and a city's productivity, adaptation to changes, the
flexibility of the labor market and international cooperation.

2. SMART MOBILITY
It is perceived by the accessibility of information and communication infrastructure,
through the development of sustainable, innovative and safe transport.

3. SMART ENVIRONMENT
It is measured by the attractiveness of the natural environment, pollution levels,
environmental protection activities and resource management methods.

4. SMART PEOPLE
Are characterized by the level of qualifications, lifelong learning, social and ethnic
diversity, creativity, openness and participation in public life.

5. SMART LIVING
Is measured by existing cultural facilities, living conditions (health, safety, and housing),
educational facilities, tourist attractiveness and social cohesion.

6. SMART GOVERNANCE
Is expressed by the transparency of city management, social participation, the level of
public services and the implementation of development strategies
 Smart City Elements
Source: elaborated by the authors based on (Stawasz & Sikora-Fernandez, 2016; Zanella et al., 2014; Caragliu et
al., 2011)

SMART CITIES AS SUSTAINABLE CONCEPT

“Sustainability is an important aspect of smart cities as they seek to improve efficiencies in urban areas
and improve citizen welfare. Cities offer many environmental advantages, such as smaller geographical
footprints, but they also have some negative impacts, including the use of fossil fuels to power them”
(The Welding Institutes, 2023).

Nonetheless, these negative effects can be lessen or alleviated with the use and help of smart
technologies, for example the reduction of emission through the installation of an electric transport
system. Electric vehicles also helps in regulating the frequency of the electric grid while not in use.

“Such sustainable transport options should also see a reduction in the number of cars in urban areas as
autonomous vehicles are expected to reduce the need for car ownership amongst the population” (The
Welding Institutes, 2023).

SMART CITY ISSUES

“Many cities today have ambitions of becoming the smart cities of tomorrow. But to achieve this, they
need to overcome the challenges associated with mapping out a complex strategy that involves public and
private participants, direct and indirect stakeholders, integrators, network and managed service providers,
product vendors and IT infrastructure providers”, said (Beevor, 2018). Below are some of the challenges
that can be addressed today through a combination of technological innovation and collaboration between
public organizations and private enterprises.
1. Infrastructure Must Be a Foundational Element
According to an article posted by (Beevor, 2018), “the basic elements of a smart city
today are stitched together from various stakeholders, vendors and technologies, which creates a
fragmented ecosystem. As the initiative scales, this environment will not be able to meet its
demands, support new technologies or effectively align with planned municipal services or
construction efforts.”
Considering the physical infrastructure of a popular city such as beautiful parks, well-
designed public spaces, residential neighborhoods, museums and a central financial district; the
value of these infrastructures to citizens are not fully realized without proper roads and public
transportation systems. The city will struggle under the load of traffic and not to be able to meet
the needs of its citizens as it grows.
As such, “IT Infrastructure is equally important along with a common network delivered
through adherence to industry proven open standards for a smart city initiative to support the
demands of multiple solutions from technology and application providers, systems integrators
and infrastructure service providers and operators” (Beevor, 2018).
A smart city’s infrastructure platform should enable seamless integration of sensors,
applications and services for the improvement of returns on capital investments and to provide
key stakeholders with a strong foundation for digital transformation journey.

2. Smart City IT Infrastructure must be Agile and flexible to Scale

“Infrastructure that is not scalable will be useless as smart city capabilities continue to
evolve. While modular components are indeed necessary building blocks for smart cities, the
amount of data used to power these modular components must be able to scale up as the amount
of data produced increases”, (Beevor, 2018).
For example, as cities continue interlacing together bus routes, ride sharing apps and
gridlock patterns with transportation infrastructure like traffic lights, data usage will soar.
Without the ability to scale and connect the data pulled from each of these devices, the full
benefits of a connected, smart city cannot be fully manifest themselves. (Beevor, 2018)

3. Cities Need Effective and Efficient Data Processing and Analytics

The ability to effectively and efficiently capture, store and analyze ever-growing amounts
of IoT data closer to the edge is what really accelerates the benefits of smart cities. Smart cities
are only as good as their ability to process data, which requires an intelligent and automated
infrastructure that can handle exponential data creation and deliver the capabilities required to
support long-term storage, processing and analysis. (Beevor, 2018)
One perfect example of an emerging technology is the facial recognition which requires
infrastructure to deliver the highest performance across both storage and analytics. It must store
large amounts of video footage and can process it by looking for specific markers. In the case of
school shootings, for example, this can have a profound impact in helping law enforcement
identify the shooter and their location in life saving seconds.

4. Cities Must Protect Residents’ Data to Assuage Privacy Concerns

While infrastructure provides the common foundation and offers advanced capabilities,
open data and public trust weighs heavily on the success of a smart city project. In today’s
 climate, government entities and private companies face rising scrutiny over data collection, with
increasing public demand for transparency and oversight. (Beevor, 2018)
Proving that data collection is legal, responsible and ultimately in the interest of the
public, would be the burden on local officials and city planners.
To address the issue of trust in the court of public opinion, government entities will likely
consider similar measures to the General Data Protection Regulation in Europe, which signals
that officials are beginning to listen to privacy concerns and restrict the way organizations control
and process personally identifiable information. Initiatives like this could be one key to
rebuilding trust, but over time public officials will need to demonstrate a true commitment to
driving transparency both for government agencies and private companies, as well as a lasting
obligation to protecting the privacy of citizens without compromising public safety.

5. Political Differences Can be a Roadblock to Smart City Deployments

Still, according to (Beevor, 2018), “Large-scale smart city projects are often challenging
to fund, as they require buy-in from multiple stakeholders involved in a public-private funding
mechanism which blends interests from national, state and local levels with private enterprises”.
Smart city projects can also be tied to a city’s political cycles. Political capital can expire
before a project is finished, potentially exposing the initiative to scrutiny by an incoming
administration, which leads to delays and increased operational complexity. Smart city initiatives
require robust strategies that can garner long-term commitments that span administrations, policy
and funding schemes. Additionally, smart city project proponents should focus on promoting the
forward-thinking nature of these projects and their benefits that span generations with the
potential to make business and municipalities more sustainable, improve the quality of life for
citizens, drive job creation and spark economic growth. (Beevor, 2018)

6. Public and Private Sector Organizations Need to Coordinate

Another problem for smart cities are collaborating and cooperating between key
stakeholders in municipalities and the private sector. These two involved organizations are often
reluctant to share sensitive data or standardized on common networks, tools and infrastructure.
These data-sharing policy that must know can prevent the kind of cross-collaboration that can
help cities from preventing terrorist attacks, improve drinking water and garbage collection, and
reduce noise and light pollution.
As for the organizations in the private sector, treating the city as a valued customer,
getting to know the other players within the city market and finding potential partners are all
effective ways to promote a convergence of smart city stakeholders.
“The challenges in building smart cities are complex and dynamic. All stakeholders must
view it as a long-term infrastructure project while addressing the immediate need for short-term
solutions to simplify our increasingly digital, connected and complex world. Maximizing the
potential of smart cities will only come through the trust of citizens combined with businesses
and governments that prioritize safety, efficiency and sustainability”, (Beevor, 2018).

RELATED CASE STUDIES (LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL)

A. INTERNATIONAL
 SINGAPORE
 “Singapore was elected the smartest city in the world " according to IMD’s
inaugural Smart City Index. Since 2020, the city has been home to the first industry-led
smart city lab in Southeast Asia. The Smart Urban Co-Innovation Lab consists of more
than 30 companies, such as Amazon Web Services, Cisco Systems, and Schneider
Electric, collaborating with local tech start-ups and international partners to
further develop smart city technologies. According to a journal article by (thalesgroup,
2023) Singapore introduced many smart city projects in all aspects of life like:

 Using an autonomous fleet to help older people or those with limited mobility move
around.
- “The city-state has an electronic road pricing system that uses real-time traffic data
to adjust toll rates and manage traffic congestion” (thalesgroup, 2023).
- By the use of public data or ‘open data’ in a trial to facilitate transport planning, it
able to help with transport optimization of the city. Data from fare cards to sensors in
more than 5,000 vehicles, and the real-time tracking of busses, is analyzed.
- “Contactless payment technology is being used to streamline the movements and
payments of the 7.5 million passengers who use public transport each day. As in an
increasing number of cities, commuters can pay using contactless cards or mobile
wallets” (thalesgroup, 2023).
 Adopting robotics and AI-powered chatbots talk to the elderly to provide relevant
information and reduce loneliness.
- Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered ‘chatbots’ talk to the elderly, tell them about
community activities, and integrate messages that promote healthy living.
- The AI-powered Smart Elderly Alert System monitors and learns people’s regular
movements, alerting a caregiver when something out of the ordinary occurs, and
urgent care might be required.

 Digitizing the healthcare system that, amongst other things, allows

for TeleHealth video consultations and TeleRehab.
- “Singapore's e-health initiative is a comprehensive digital platform that aims to
improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare services in the country. The
initiative is driven by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Infocomm Media
Development Authority (IMDA), and it involves various stakeholders in the
healthcare industry, including healthcare providers, technology companies, and
patients” (thalesgroup, 2023).
 HealthHub: HealthHub is an online portal that allows patients to manage
their health and wellness. It provides features such as appointment booking,
prescription refills, and access to medical records.
 Telemedicine: Telemedicine enables patients to consult with doctors
remotely through video conferencing or messaging. This can be especially
useful for patients who live far from healthcare facilities or have mobility
issues.

 TeleRehab: TeleRehab allows patients to undergo exercises in their own

home – wearable Internet of Things (IoT) devices monitor patients’ progress
and transmit the data to their therapist over a wireless network.
 Providing apps that enable to hail self-driving vehicles, access information tailored
to specific demographics, and receive location-specific environmental alerts.
- The Smart Nation app is a mobile application developed by the government of
Singapore to provide citizens with a one-stop platform to access a wide range of
government services and information. The app is designed to simplify and streamline
the way citizens interact with the government, making it easier and more convenient
to access important services and information” (thalesgroup, 2023).
- SMART NATION APP FEATURES
 Digital Identity: The app allows users to create a digital identity, which can
be used to access a range of government services, such as applying for
permits and licenses.
 Government Services: The app provides access to a wide range of
government services, including payment of fines, renewal of passports, and
booking of government facilities.
 Feedback and Reporting: The app allows citizens to provide feedback and
report issues such as broken public facilities or incidents of littering.
 Personalized Information: The app provides personalized information based
on the user's location and interests, such as news and events happening in the
user's vicinity.
 Emergency Information: The app provides real-time updates on emergencies
and incidents happening in the user's area, such as traffic accidents or natural
disasters.

 Gather citizens’ perceptions and insights using Hello Lamp

Post’s communication participation technology.
- “Hello Lamp Post connects to the IoT via QR codes located on street furniture and
landmarks, which citizens and visitors can scan to provide feedback, access
wayfinding and storytelling resources, and participate in urban design engagement”
(Yates-Roberts, 2022).
 B. LOCAL
 BAGUIO
According to a newspaper article by (RIZALDY, 2023), “Baguio aims to be fully
compliant with the criteria for the smart city identification by 2027. A smart city
command center is a data driven innovation built to help the local government in
managing and sustaining its economy, environment, mobility/traffic, and public safety
and security. The city’s newly built command center is temporarily housed in the
basement of the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center. Proposed by the Department of
Information and Communications Technology as the permanent location of the smart city
command center”.

“Another feature fused in the command center is the flood early warning system.
This system monitors the water level in five sites (1 Ferguson Bridge, at Central Guisad
Barangay; Sadjap Bridge at Km. 3, Balili, La Trinidad; Brookspoint Barangay; Eagle
Crest Bridge at Bakakeng Central Barangay; and Camp 7 Barangay)”, (RIZALDY,
2023).

“The command center also functions as an Emergency Operations to complement

the emergency operations of the city Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office”
(RIZALDY, 2023).

CONCLUSIONS
Smart city, intelligent city, digital city, information city or wired city, signify a multidisciplinary field,
constantly shaped by advancements in technology and urban development. However, smart city does not
only focuses on the usage of technological aspects but it considers the city’s intelligent citizens,
sustainability, the quality of social interactions, and integration with public life, and the involvement of
various types of stakeholders working in partnership with the city authorities.
References
Allwinkle, S., & Cruickshank, P. (2011). Creating Smarter Cities: An Overview. Journal of Urban
Technology, 18(2), 1-16. doi: 10.1080/10630732.2011.601103.

Angelidou, M. (2014). Smart city policies: A spatial approach. Cities, Volume 41, Pages S3-S11.

Beevor, M. (2018, December 05). 6 Challenges Smart Cities Face and How to Overcome Them.
StateTech. Retrieved from StateTech: https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2018/12/6-
challenges-smart-cities-face-and-how-overcome-them?
fbclid=IwAR02HA40GbiBlufflxs5xb4VUnIlrGMh_B4AgCgLITxUesOVTzemdMqkQV8

European Union. (2014). Retrieved from European Commission: https://commission.europa.eu/eu-

regional-and-urban-development/topics/cities-and-urban-development/city-initiatives/smart-
cities_en

Lee, J. H., Hancock, M. G., & Hu, M.-Ch. (2014). Towards an Effective Framework for Building Smart
Cities: Lessons from Seoul and San Francisco. San Francisco: Technological Forecasting & Social
Change, 89, 80-99. doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2013.08.033.

RIZALDY, C. C. (2023). Baguio needs P5 billion to realize its Smart City vision. Manila Bulletin, par. 5-6,
18-20.

Stawasz, D., & Sikora-Fernandez, D. (2016). Koncepcja smart city na tle procesów i uwarunkowań
rozwoju współczesnych miast [The smart city concept against the background of processes and
conditions for the development of modern cities]. Łódź, Poland: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu
Łodzkiego.

thalesgroup. (2023). Singapore as a Smart City. SINGAPORE: THE WORLD’S SMARTEST CITY.

The Welding Institutes. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.twi-global.com/: https://www.twi-

global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/what-is-a-smart-city#:~:text=The%20concept%20of
%20smart%20cities,against%20disasters%20and%20reduce%20poverty.

Yates-Roberts, E. (2022). Hello Lamp Post provides engagement programme with Microsoft Azure.
TechnologyRecord.