By Chamari Edirisinghe, Adrian David Cheok
The pervasiveness of information and communication technologies within urban contexts has made cities hyperconnected; moreover, it has dramatically increased the amount of data produced and consumed.
The Internet of Things has generated networked systems of sensors and actuators: these systems create a continuous flow of data, provide a dynamic representation of urban contexts, and embed intelligence into the vital infrastructures of cities. Accessibility to these data has brought new opportunities for new forms of collaborations and civic innovation, and has facilitated public-private partnerships and entrepreneurial initiatives oriented to develop products and services that improve the quality of life of citizens. Increasingly, the strategies and the initiatives that add value to urban data are providing results that are beneficial to cities.
In this scenario, Open Data and all the related initiatives that emerge in different urban contexts have a central role in enabling novel opportunities for Smart, or Intelligent, Cities.
We investigate the role of Open Data and open innovation in cities, and we look at the initiatives and the best practices that facilitate their effective employment for generating smarter and more liveable urban environments.