Redefining the Smart City concept: the importance of humanizing ‘Intelligent’ Cities

Abstract

Within the context of the changes provoked by globalization and over-urbanization in recent decades, cities face the challenge of conceiving new and more competitive and sustainable development models. To this effect, the Smart City is proposed as a new model of urban development. However, the concept of Smart City has developed in such a way (in most cases completely alien to the area of Urbanism) that, in a way, cities have begun to face the risk of losing their soul. Clear examples of this are the new 'intelligent' cities created from scratch as mere efficient functional structures, without history and even without inhabitants, and lacking understanding of the very complexity and nature of cities, which are first and foremost dynamic places to be experienced. This is why, one of the main challenges with which Urbanism of the 21st century is confronted, is to work on redefining the concept of Smart City, redirecting its development to humanize and give soul back to these near future 'intelligent' cities. In this direction, the main objective of this research is to contribute as urban planners in this redefinition of the concept of Smart City as a new model of urban development. From the work carried out, the proposal of a model, sensitive to the environment (natural, cultural and urban) but above all a model focused on people, their preferences, opinions and needs is concluded.