From the ‘smart ground’ to the ‘smart city’: An analysis of ten European case-studies

During the last two centuries, the urban percentage of the world's population, combined with the overall growth phenomenon, has deeply increased and it is projected to reach 60% by 2030. In this current context linked to environmental issues managing to plan sustainable cities appears a main policy target. The implementation of Zero Energy Buildings as a European target becomes a challenge for the energy savings with the significant commitment for larger urban scales. The aim of this paper is the development of a methodological systemic approach about energy management in a ‘district scale’ with zero energy context within the analysis of ten European case-studies to the potential of a ‘smart ground’ towards the development of a ‘smart city’. This work opens and addresses numerous future research perspectives that should be investigated widely to develop districts with an operational, sustainable and long-term context.