What is the difference between a smart city and a digital city? Are smart cities and smart cities the same thing?

The concepts of smart city, digital city and smart city are often confused. In fact, there is a difference between the three. The difference between smart city, digital city and smart city also reflects people’s understanding of the role of information technology in cities. Gradually deepen the understanding of the role and role played in development.

The definition of smart city

Smart city is an urban form supported by the new generation of information technology and the next generation innovation of knowledge society (Innovation 2.0). Smart cities are based on the application of next-generation information technologies such as the Internet of Things and cloud computing, as well as tools and methods such as wikis, social networks, FabLab, LivingLab, and comprehensive integration methods, to create an ecosystem conducive to the emergence of innovation. Leverage information and communications technology (ICT) to make urban life smarter, use resources efficiently, lead to cost and energy savings, improve service delivery and quality of life, reduce environmental impact, and support innovation and a low-carbon economy. Achieve high integration of smart technology, high-end development of smart industries, efficient and convenient smart services, people-oriented continuous innovation, and complete the leap from digital city to smart city, and then to smart city.

Digital city, smart city and the conceptual evolution of smart city

What exactly is a smart city? We see that the understanding of smart cities is still a gradual process. Smart cities often intersect with regional development concepts such as digital cities, sensory cities, wireless cities, smart cities, ecological cities, low-carbon cities, and even with e-government, smart cities, etc. The concepts of informatization in industries such as transportation and smart grid are mixed. There are often different interpretations of the concept of smart cities. Some believe that the key lies in technology application, some believe that the key lies in network construction, some believe that the key lies in human participation, some believe that the key lies in smart effects, and some believe that the key lies in human participation. Cities that are pioneers in urban informatization construction emphasize people-oriented and sustainable innovation. In short, wisdom is more than just intelligence. Smart city is not just another term for smart city, or the intelligent application of information technology, but also includes connotations such as people's intelligent participation, people-oriented, and sustainable innovation. Based on the development origin of this concept and a summary of regional informatization practices around the world, the article "Smart City from the Perspective of Innovation 2.0" analyzes smart cities from the perspective of innovation at the two levels of technological development and economic and social development, emphasizing smart cities. Cities are not only the application of new generation information technologies such as the Internet of Things and cloud computing, but more importantly, the application of the Innovation 2.0 methodology for a knowledge society.

From digital city to smart city

Digital city is an important part of the digital earth and the digital form of traditional city. Digital city is an urban virtual space formed by applying computer, Internet, 3S, multimedia and other technologies to combine urban geographical information with other urban information, digitize it and store it on the computer network. Digital city construction integrates multiple resources through the standardization of spatial data infrastructure and the digitization of various urban information. It provides a foundation for data sharing and interoperability from both technical and institutional aspects, and realizes the integrated integration of urban 3S technology. and the in-depth application of informatization in various industries and fields [20]. The development of digital cities has accumulated a large amount of basic and operational data, and also faces many challenges, including processing problems such as the collection, analysis, storage, and utilization of massive city-level information, various complex issues in the integration of multiple systems, and the problems brought about by technological development. The problem of urban development alienation.

The development of a new generation of information technology has made it a reality for urban forms to be further intelligent based on digitalization. Relying on the Internet of Things, intelligent perception, identification, positioning, tracking and supervision can be achieved; with the help of cloud computing and intelligent analysis technology, massive information processing and decision support can be achieved. At the same time, with the gradual unfolding of the Innovation 2.0 form in the knowledge society environment, modern information technology has gradually derived some new industrial formats and organizational forms after completing the digital transformation of various industries in the industrial era for efficiency improvement [14], making people I have a more realistic understanding of the evolution of innovative forms and social changes led by information technology, a deeper understanding of the people-oriented nature of scientific and technological innovation, and a new understanding of the evolution of urban forms under the development of modern science and technology.

About smart cities and intelligent cities

The four basic characteristics of smart cities are: comprehensive and thorough perception, broadband ubiquitous interconnection, intelligent integration application and people-oriented sustainability Innovation, and smart cities mainly emphasize the application of information technology in the first three points:

1. Comprehensive and thorough perception

Through sensing technology, all aspects of urban management are realized Monitoring and comprehensive awareness. Smart cities use various sensing devices and intelligent systems anytime and anywhere to intelligently identify and three-dimensionally perceive all-round changes in urban environment, status, location and other information, integrate, analyze and process sensing data, and intelligently integrate with business processes Integrate and then proactively respond to promote the harmonious and efficient operation of various key systems in the city.

2. Broadband ubiquitous interconnection

The development of various broadband wired and wireless network technologies has provided a comprehensive interconnection and interoperability between things, people and things, and people and people in the city. , interaction, providing basic conditions for various urban applications at any time, anywhere, on demand, and at will.

As the "neural network" of smart cities, broadband ubiquitous networks have greatly enhanced the smart city's ability to acquire information, provide real-time feedback, and provide intelligent services anytime and anywhere as an adaptive system.

3. Application of intelligent integration

Modern cities and their management are an open and complex giant system. The application of a new generation of comprehensive sensing technology has increased the city’s massive data. Gather together and become wisdom. Based on cloud computing, the storage, calculation and analysis of massive data are realized through the application of intelligent fusion technology, and the comprehensive integration method (Comprehensive Integration Seminar) is introduced to greatly enhance the decision-making support capabilities through the participation of human "wisdom". Dacheng Smart Engineering based on the cloud computing platform will form the "brain" of the smart city. The integration and development of technology will further promote the combination of "cloud" and "end", promote the development from personal communications, personal computing to personal manufacturing, and promote the realization of intelligent integration, anytime, anywhere, on-demand and casual applications, further demonstrating Personal involvement and user power.

4. Human-centered sustainable innovation

The next generation of innovation for the knowledge society has reshaped the human-centered connotation of modern science and technology, and also redefined the role of users and the value of applications in innovation. , the connotation of collaboration and the power of the masses. The construction of smart cities pays special attention to the creation of open innovation spaces that are people-oriented, citizen participation, and social collaboration, as well as the creation of public and unique values. Focus on starting from the needs of citizens, and strengthen user participation through tools and methods such as Wiki, Weibo, Fab Lab, Living Lab, etc., gather public wisdom, continuously promote user innovation, open innovation, mass innovation, collaborative innovation, and realize a people-oriented economy , social and environmental sustainable development.

Six major differences between digital cities and smart cities

Comparing digital cities and smart cities, we can find the following six differences:

1. When digital cities Cities reproduce traditional cities in virtual space through the digitization of urban geospatial information and all aspects of urban information. On this basis, smart cities focus on further utilizing sensing technology and intelligent technology to achieve automatic, real-time, and comprehensive perception of the city's operating status. .

2. While digital cities improve the management efficiency and service quality of various industries through the informatization of various industries in the city, smart cities place more emphasis on moving from an industry-segmented and relatively closed information architecture to a complex giant system. An open, integrated, and collaborative urban informatization architecture can unleash the overall effectiveness of urban informatization.

3. While digital cities form preliminary business collaboration based on the Internet, smart cities focus more on realizing ubiquitous interconnection and intelligent integrated services anytime, anywhere through ubiquitous networks and mobile technologies.

4. While digital cities focus on the production, accumulation and application of data resources, smart cities pay more attention to service design and provision from the user perspective.

5. While digital cities pay more attention to the use of information technology to realize informatization in all areas of the city to improve social production efficiency, smart cities place more emphasis on the dominant position of people and the shaping of open innovation spaces and the relationship between them. citizen participation, user experience, and people-centered sustainable innovation.

6. While digital cities are committed to realizing all aspects of urban operation and development functions through information technology, improving urban operation efficiency, and serving urban management and development, smart cities place more emphasis on the use of information technology by the government, market, and society. The participation and collaboration of all parties can realize urban public value shaping and unique value creation.

Smart cities not only widely use technical tools such as the Internet of Things, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data mining, knowledge management, and social networks, but also focus on user participation and the application of people-oriented Innovation 2.0 concepts and methods to build The institutional environment is conducive to the emergence of innovation to achieve high integration of smart technologies, high-end development of smart industries, efficient and convenient smart services, and people-oriented continuous innovation to complete the leap from digital cities and smart cities to smart cities. Smart cities will be people-centered, sustainable and innovative cities in the Innovation 2.0 era.

Reference materials:

Smart cities from the perspective of Innovation 2.0: /complexity/complexity22.htm

Baidu Encyclopedia smart cities: /view/3310078.htm< /p>