Creating More Intelligent Cities: The Role of ICT in Promoting Territorial Governance

Abstract

Since the 1990s, there have been many discussions in both academic and policy communities about the role ICT play in social, economic, and spatial development patterns. During the process, the concept of intelligent cities has emerged and in most cases that concept comes with a sheen of technological determinism. In broad terms, this concept articulates the relationships within and between the city and its surroundings, emphasizing the importance of organizational capacity, institutional leadership, creativity, and technology as drivers for change in a globalized and knowledge-driven economy. Bearing in mind that the changing role of government in service provision and the need for a collaborative-based approach are extensively gaining increasing recognition, on the one hand, and using the Portuguese case as an example of policy approaches in this domain, on the other hand, the article seeks both to bring critical commentary to this arena and to issue a challenge to policy makers to engage in a more appropriate set of discussions about this subject.