THE SMART CITY CONCEPT IN DESIGN EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

Today’s cities are often faced with complex and multifaceted urban problems calling for more flexibility in the approaches and proposed solutions. The concept of smart city is becoming increasingly used and beginning to include a variety of different spatial patterns of urban space. For this reason, implementation of innovative approaches relying on technology and smart concepts has surfaced as a promising and much needed solution. Such a situation encourages a divergent thinking engaged with both bottom up and up down methods of urban development. This paper deals with the potentials and benefits of using the smart city concept in architectural design education and research especially in student practical work in areas with particular architectural and historical values, character and atmosphere, where it is usually difficult and often highly problematic to intervene in standard modes of regeneration. The paper argues that smart solutions do not have to change the physical appearance of the environment, nor its character, in order to change and promote the way in which activities take place. It is also assumed that the application of the concept of smart city may be especially useful in urban areas with specific spatial authenticity and visual appearance, where there is a need for promoting the quality of life without affecting their spatial pattern and preserve their visual character. The paper presents the research of the possibilities of application the concept of smart cities in student research and design, especially as an experimental ground for exploring the possibilities of spatial improvement of specific urban areas through the use of smart technologies. The utilization of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) in contemporary design education is both inevitable and necessary. The application of ICT is an initiative aimed at stimulating economic, environmental and social aspects of urban growth; however as a substantial part of city economy it brings many dangers and negative aspects as well, making the smart city concept a frequent subject of criticism. This paper highlights the benefits of applying ICT in the context of creating better living conditions in urban wholes and settlements which possess authentic historical character and ambience or in which there are no possibilities for the transformation of spatial structure. Accordingly this approach is very important in education for sustainability in design disciplines. The students work reveals that the application of ICT solutions may significantly improve the quality of life, without disturbing the integrity of architectural expression and identity. Smart technologies are applied with the aim of promoting the community’s sustainable growth, which is based on achieving economic and social sustainability and long-term management of environmental resources. Thus, discussing smart city concepts becomes one of the tools for realizing the goals of sustainable development.