Abstract:

Smart City is a globally known concept widely used in current urban development. The majority of big cities have implemented some smart services (like photovoltaics, smart public transport, e-administration, etc..) to help them improve the quality of life for their citizens, achieve sustainability, or optimize infrastructure.

However, the implementation of the Smart City concept can be beneficial not only for big cities but also for smaller towns if it is realized suitably. Furthermore, small cities are solving different problems than big cities (like lowering the population, moving of the younger generation to big cities, the level of basic services etc.). Based on qualitative research done with the cooperation of municipalities in the southern regions of Czechia, we will show how the perception of the Smart City concept and its elements can differ in various sized municipalities. We will address the common difficulties and misconceptions these cities share about understanding what a smart solution or Smart City is and how it can be useful.

The poster will propose a way to improve the perception of Smart City concept to help more people, mayors and cities learn about what makes a solution smart and thus prevent possible misunderstandings or prejudice. We will show how a multidisciplinary approach, based on multidisciplinary education, can play a key role in understanding the concept of Smart City and implementing it in municipalities of all sizes.

Keywords:

Smart City, Smart Services, multidisciplinary education.