The role of landscape design in Smart Cities

Abstract

Smart cities are not a new phenomenon and it is an interdisciplinary definition that became a popular labeling for modern cities. However, there a is surprisingly little academic research in urban design and planning field that discusses this phenomenon. Smart cities definition is similar to intelligent, creative, sustainable or liveable cities which appears to be considered as a part of a play with words. In most of the technological and social science articles smart cities refer to a smart urban management and development via technologies and infrastructure. Based on the scientific literature overview, there are several factors affecting the city smartness, such as technology, people and communities, economy governance, planning and infrastructure. Overall there is a little information and research on urban design principles and tools in the smart city’s creation and contribution to its smartness. The most important thing is to clarify the urban design, planning and landscape design role importance to a smart city context and vice versa. The aim of this paper is to overview the smart cities concept from urban design perspective to find and highlight the important touch points, relation and role of urban design, planning and landscape design in smart cities creation. This would lead to the robust principles for smart European cities that would enable to achieve sustainable development, efficient urban growth and a better urban landscape.