Analysis of Smart City Definitions from ISO, IEC, ITU-T

doi:10.12339/j.issn.1673-8578.2021.04.010

Abstract

Abstract:

Smart city definition is the foundation for understanding its unit of knowledge and unique combination of characteristics for building shared understanding about smart city. Using ISO 704:2009 as theoretical support, we analyzed smart city definitions from ISO, IEC and ITU-T. Moreover, concepts in different definitions of smart city, and their characteristics in terms of smart city object, smart status of smart city, stakeholder’s concern about smart city, domain’s concern about smart city, visions and goals of smart city, approaches to and means of smart city are identified. Based on questionnaire survey about understandings about smart city concepts and their characteristics from 14 experts from ISO, IEC and ITU-T, we put forward unified definition for smart city from system of systems views and multi-dimensional meta-synthetic thinking about common or different characteristics. This paper provides an effective path for standardization collaboration and integration of smart city defined by the three standardization organizations.

Key words: smart city definitions, standards collaboration, consensus building, ISO, IEC, ITU-T

CLC Number: (标准化设计)

AN Xiaomi, WEI Wei, MIN Jinghua. Analysis of Smart City Definitions from ISO, IEC, ITU-T[J]. China Terminology, 2021, 23(4): 65-79.

Figures/Tables 10

References 21

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Concepts	SDOs	ISO	IEC	ITU-T
Characteristics	SDOs	ISO	IEC	ITU-T
Characteristics in terms of stakeholder’s concern about smart city		citizen (D1, D3)	citizen (D4, D5)	present and future generation (D2)
Characteristics in terms of domain’s concern about smart city		built environment (D1) natural environment (D3)	city (D4, D5, D6) international standards and digital transformation(D5) electrotechnical systems and information technology(D6)	economic, social, environmental as well as cultural aspect (D2)
Characteristics in terms of smart object of smart city		integration of physical, digital and human systems (D1) city (D3)	city (D4, D5, D6)	city (D2)
Characteristics in terms of smart status of smart city		effective integration (D1) increases the pace (D3)	improvements accelerated (D4) self-organizing system(D5) digital transformation as digitally coordinated systems with its own pace(D5) improvements for services(D6)	innovative (D2)
Characteristics in terms of visions and goals of smart city		a sustainable, prosperous and inclusive future (D1) fundamentally improving (D3) provides social, economic and environmental sustainability outcomes and responds to challenges such as climate of change, rapid population growth, and political and economic instability, to deliver better services and quality of life(D3)	improvements in quality of life, services, sustainability and resilience (D4) repeatability and scalability of digital solutions (D5) systematically addressing concerns(D5) city services(D6)	improve quality of life, efficiency of urban operation and services, and competitiveness (D2)
Characteristics in terms of approaches to and means of smart city		effective integration of physical, digital and human systems(D1) engage society applies collaborative leadership methods, works across disciplines and city systems, and uses data information and modern technologies (D3)	by the effective integration of many and various types of physical, digital and social systems and the transformative use of data and technology (D4) internationally recognized metrics(D5) electrotechnical systems and information technology(D6)	information and communication technologies (ICTs) and other mean (D2)

Concepts	SDOs	ISO	IEC	ITU-T
Characteristics	SDOs	ISO	IEC	ITU-T
Characteristics in terms of stakeholder’s concern about smart city		citizen (D1, D3)	citizen (D4, D5)	present and future generation (D2)
Characteristics in terms of domain’s concern about smart city		built environment (D1) natural environment (D3)	city (D4, D5, D6) international standards and digital transformation(D5) electrotechnical systems and information technology(D6)	economic, social, environmental as well as cultural aspect (D2)
Characteristics in terms of smart object of smart city		integration of physical, digital and human systems (D1) city (D3)	city (D4, D5, D6)	city (D2)
Characteristics in terms of smart status of smart city		effective integration (D1) increases the pace (D3)	improvements accelerated (D4) self-organizing system(D5) digital transformation as digitally coordinated systems with its own pace(D5) improvements for services(D6)	innovative (D2)
Characteristics in terms of visions and goals of smart city		a sustainable, prosperous and inclusive future (D1) fundamentally improving (D3) provides social, economic and environmental sustainability outcomes and responds to challenges such as climate of change, rapid population growth, and political and economic instability, to deliver better services and quality of life(D3)	improvements in quality of life, services, sustainability and resilience (D4) repeatability and scalability of digital solutions (D5) systematically addressing concerns(D5) city services(D6)	improve quality of life, efficiency of urban operation and services, and competitiveness (D2)
Characteristics in terms of approaches to and means of smart city		effective integration of physical, digital and human systems(D1) engage society applies collaborative leadership methods, works across disciplines and city systems, and uses data information and modern technologies (D3)	by the effective integration of many and various types of physical, digital and social systems and the transformative use of data and technology (D4) internationally recognized metrics(D5) electrotechnical systems and information technology(D6)	information and communication technologies (ICTs) and other mean (D2)

Classification of characteristics	First level	Second level	Third level	Fourth level
Stakeholder concern	business··	customer··
	citizen**	future generation#
	citizen**	present generation#
	government··
Domain concern	city#	economic**
		digital	digital transformation·
			information technology·
			data & information∴
			electronical systems∴
		cultural*
		environmental**	built environment·
		environmental**	natural environment·
		social*	international standards*
		social*	coordinated & reflexive systems*
Means & approaches	society·	disciplines&city systems·
		recognized matric··
		collaborative leadership·
	modern technology·	use of data & information#
		electrotechnical systems∴
		ICT·
Smart object	integration of physical, digital & social systems**	community∴
		decision makers∴
		sustainability∴
Smart status	effective integration**	digital coordinated systems∴	pace increase∴
			self organizing systems∴
			learning & reflexive∴	innovative·
			improvements accelerated∴	services improvements*
Visions & goals	fundamental improvement∴	efficiency#
		quality of life#
		service#	city service·
		concerns addressing∴
	competitiveness·
	instability#
	livability & resilience∴
	repeatability & scalability∴

Classification of characteristics	First level	Second level	Third level	Fourth level
Stakeholder concern	business··	customer··
	citizen**	future generation#
	citizen**	present generation#
	government··
Domain concern	city#	economic**
		digital	digital transformation·
			information technology·
			data & information∴
			electronical systems∴
		cultural*
		environmental**	built environment·
		environmental**	natural environment·
		social*	international standards*
		social*	coordinated & reflexive systems*
Means & approaches	society·	disciplines&city systems·
		recognized matric··
		collaborative leadership·
	modern technology·	use of data & information#
		electrotechnical systems∴
		ICT·
Smart object	integration of physical, digital & social systems**	community∴
		decision makers∴
		sustainability∴
Smart status	effective integration**	digital coordinated systems∴	pace increase∴
			self organizing systems∴
			learning & reflexive∴	innovative·
			improvements accelerated∴	services improvements*
Visions & goals	fundamental improvement∴	efficiency#
		quality of life#
		service#	city service·
		concerns addressing∴
	competitiveness·
	instability#
	livability & resilience∴
	repeatability & scalability∴

Code	Definition	Source
D1	effective integration of physical, digital and human systems in the built environment to deliver a sustainable, prosperous and inclusive future for its citizens.	[9,14-17]
D2	a smart sustainable city is an innovative city that uses information and communication technologies (ICTs) and other means to improve quality of life, efficiency of urban operation and services, and competitiveness, while ensuring that it is meets the needs of present and future generations with respect to economic, social, environmental as well as cultural aspect”. NOTE 1: City competitiveness refers to policies, institutions, strategies and processes that determine the city’s sustainable productivity. NOTE 2: ‘Smart sustainable city’ is also called ‘smart city’ in some other SDOs	[18-19]
D3	City that increases the pace at which it provides social, economic and environmental sustainability outcomes and responds to challenges such as climate of change, rapid population growth, and political and economical instability by fundamentally improving how it engage society applies collaborative leadership methods, works across disciplines and city systems, and uses data information and modern technologies to deliver better services and quality of life to those in the city (residents, business, visitors), now and for foreseeable future, without unfair disadvantages of others or degradation of the natural environment	[20-21]
D3	NOTE 1: A smart city also faces the challenges of respecting planetary boundaries and taking into account the limitations these boundaries impose. NOTE 2: There are a numerous definitions of smart city; however, the definition that is used with TC268 is the official one agreed to by the ISO Technical Management Board	[20-21]
D4	city where improvements in quality of life, services, sustainability and resilience are accelerated by the effective integration of many and various types of physical, digital and social systems and the transformative use of data and technology Note 1 to entry: This is a general definition of a smart city. The IEC looks at these aspects from an electrotechnical perspective. Note 2 to entry: The effective integration of physical, digital and social systems requires the development and integration of digital twins of all these systems.	[6]831-01-26
D5	city which is systematically addressing concerns of citizens leveraging international standards and digital transformation Note 1 to entry: Typical citizens’ concerns are, by their nature, subjective, contradictory, partial and changing over the time. Such concerns form views representing how citizens see and perceive the city. Usually, different stakeholders (e.g. groups of citizen) may have different views on the same fragment or aspect of a city. Note 2 to entry: Any city (therefore any smart city) is a self-organising system thus it is able transforming itself. Note 3 to entry: The complexity of smart cities requires building them via digital transformation as digitally coordinated systems. Note 4 to entry: Each smart city is carrying out its digital transformation with its own pace. Note 5 to entry: The concept “digitally coordinated system” is critical for providing various smart cities with ready-to-deploy (standard) solutions which can be used (together with some local solutions) to create unique smart cities. Such digitally coordinated systems are qualified as repeatable. This feature is necessary to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 quickly and effectively because there are many cities and any making each of them smart in a different way would be very unsustainable. Note 6 to entry: International Standards are critical for repeatability and scalability of digital solutions for smart cities. Note 7 to entry: The shortest form of the definition of smart city is “city built as a digital system”. Note 8 to entry: Various improvements for citizens, business and administration can be quantified via internationally recognised metrics. Examples of such metrics are: https://www.doingbusiness.org/and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Liveability_Ranking.	From comments of National Body of Switzerland for [6]
D6	“City where electrotechnical systems and information technology are employed to improve city services.”	From comments of National Body of US for [6]