Challenges for Connecting Citizens and Smart Cities: ICT, E-Governance and Blockchain

Thays A. Oliveira, Miquel Oliver and Helena Ramalhinho
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Thays A. Oliveira: Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Edifici Tànger, 122-140, 08018 Barcelona, Spain
Miquel Oliver: Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Edifici Tànger, 122-140, 08018 Barcelona, Spain
Helena Ramalhinho: Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Carrer de Ramon Trias Fargas, 25-27, 08005 Barcelona, Spain

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-21

Abstract: The way citizens interact with cities affects overall life quality. Their participation in social decisions is of paramount importance for helping on public decisions that affect governance, regulation and education. This interaction has the potential of being boosted within the scope of smart and digital cities, especially by recent advances in blockchain technology. This work introduces insights about how smart cities’ concepts and innovative technologies can help society to face daily challenges for improving citizens’ awareness. Digital technologies are able to drive social and economic development by employing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to promote innovation. In this context, e-governance, in conjunction with disruptive concepts such as blockchain, is showing up as a fundamental tool for a decentralized democracy. This study reviews, discusses, raises open points and presents suggestions towards an efficient, transparent and sustainable use of technology, applied to future cities.

Keywords: smart cities; digital cities; citizens; blockchain; ICT; e-governance; sustainability; urban planning; green technologies; smart contracts (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (23)

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