Does a smart city have to pursue sustainability goals? Does it have to utilize the internet to involve citizens? Boyd Cohen tries to put some parameters around the discussion of smart cities - a nebulous term that means many things to many people.
As past articles on the subject demonstrate, the definition of a "smart city" can be stretched to include nearly any city doing some form of planning. As he endeavors to compile his annual rankings of smart cities, Cohen attempts to bring some order to the discussion by creating a vehicle to build "consensus around what a smart city is and what the components of a smart city actually are." To achieve this goal, Cohen introduces, "a new rubric for smart cities, that [he calls] the Smart Cities Wheel," which is oriented around six main "smart" categories.
"Most cities can agree that there is real value in having a smart
economy, smart environmental practices, smart governance, smart living,
smart mobility, and smart people," says Cohen. "Within each of these aspirational
goals, I have included three key drivers to achieving the goal. There
are over 100 indicators to help cities track their performance with
specific actions developed for specific needs."
Cohen goes on to explain a typical three-step process for how a city might, "use the Smart Cities Wheel to develop and implement a smart cities strategy."
FULL STORY: What Exactly Is A Smart City?
North America's 10 Smartest Cities
A year after he unveiled his list of North America's top "Smart Cities" based on a new metric meant to bring clarity and measurability to the discussion, Boyd Cohen is back with a refined methodology and a new ranking.
Ranking North America's Smartest Cities
For those of you who've been anxiously waiting since Boyd Cohen published his list of Europe's smartest cities last month...wait no longer, North America's top 10 smartest cities have been revealed.
Top 10 Tech-Ready Cities
An index ranks U.S. cities based on their preparedness for the ‘smart city future.’
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.
New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.
Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.
Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions