Concept of smart city facilities and linkage to urban regeneration

Lee Beomhyun, Associate Research Fellow, Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements

Summary

1. (Background) Since the amendment to the Act on Smart City Development and Industrial Promotion (Smart City Act), the concept of smart city facilities and their classification system requires rethinking. 

2. (Definition of concept) Smart city facilities are essential concrete factors applied to smart cities. These advanced facilities are where the convergence of information and communications technologies are applied to raise quality of life for residents and offer services to existing and new cities. 

3. (Development case studies) Smart city facilities are utilized to stimulate what are considered neglected and rundown sections of a city’s old downtown. In most cases, they are built to use street space with the aim to revive the surrounding area and reflect the needs and requests of residents. 

4. (Directions) The concept of smart city facilities must categorize their various forms according to the city’s basic conditions and characteristics. Since municipal projects should improve the daily lives of residents, a spatial range should be set as a community unit in which residents share an emotional connection as neighbors; the space should also be expandable.

Policy implications

① (Link to urban regeneration) Construction of smart city facilities should be jointly pursued along with urban regeneration projects. Considering the goals of urban regeneration, such facilities should be built in a strategic fashion tentatively named “smart urban regeneration.”

② (Reflect residents’ needs) Smart city facilities should reflect residents’ requests and needs and revive neglected and rundown areas of a city.  

③ (Prepare legal and institutional support systems) Legal and institutional measures should help the construction of smart city facilities along with the implementation of various projects for urban regeneration. An institutional support system is also needed to help installation of the facilities.