Solving Urban Infrastructure Problems Using Smart City Technologies

Handbook on Planning, Design, Development, and Regulation

John R. Vacca

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9780128168172
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: City Planning & Urban Development
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Solving Urban Infrastructure Problems Using Smart City Technologies is the most complete guide for integrating next generation smart city technologies into the very foundation of urban areas worldwide, showing how to make urban areas more efficient, more sustainable, and safer. Smart cities are complex systems of systems that encompass all aspects of modern urban life. A key component of their success is creating an ecosystem of smart infrastructures that can work together to enable dynamic, real-time interactions between urban subsystems such as transportation, energy, healthcare, housing, food, entertainment, work, social interactions, and governance. Solving Urban Infrastructure Problems Using Smart City Technologies is a complete reference for building a holistic, system-level perspective on smart and sustainable cities, leveraging big data analytics and strategies for planning, zoning, and public policy. It offers in-depth coverage and practical solutions for how smart cities can utilize resident's intellectual and social capital, press environmental sustainability, increase personalization, mobility, and higher quality of life.

• Brings together experts from academia, government and industry to offer state-of- the-art solutions for urban system problems, showing how smart technologies can be used to improve the lives of the billions of people living in cities across the globe
• Demonstrates practical implementation solutions through real-life case studies
• Enhances reader comprehension with learning aid such as hands-on exercises, questions and answers, checklists, chapter summaries, chapter review questions, exercise problems, and more

Part I

Overview of smart cities and infrastructure technologies: a comprehensive introduction

Outline

• 1 Introduction to the critical success factors of E-government adoption of the utilization of emerging smart cities technologies
• 2 Smart-city infrastructure components
• 3 Smart buildings and urban spaces
• 4 Urban mobility systems components
• 5 Coupling of the mobility and energy infrastructures as urban mobility needs evolve
• 6 Smart urban mobility traffic control system components
• 7 Urbanization and smart cities
• 8 Priority activities for smart cities and the infrastructure

1

Introduction to the critical success factors of E-government adoption of the utilization of emerging smart cities technologies

Nasser A. Saif Almuraqab, Dubai Business School, University of Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Mobile technologies are one of the pillars of smart cities; however, technologies that are available to use are not very welcomed by the end-users. Mobile technologies have huge potential to be one of the governments’ most effective and efficient tools to offer their services to public, also to oversee, control, and manage societies’ requirements and justice as well as enhancing their happiness. In order for the governments to offer acceptable and attainable mobile services, these services have to be utilized by citizens. This chapter will address the major factors that influence user acceptance of digital government services. As smart government is a new field, there is limited amount of research that could assist in identifying the factors that affect acceptance of these smart services. This study aimed to identify the factors that will improve end-users’ acceptance of E-government services via smart devices and thereby guide successful implementation of smart government and smart city.

Keywords

Adoption; smart government; E-government; M-government; acceptance; smart city; innovation; technology; UTAUT

1.1 Introduction

A city that screens and integrates its critical infrastructures, including roads, bridges, tunnels, rail/subways, airports, seaports, communications, water, and power can better optimize its resources, plan its preventive maintenance activities, and monitor security aspects while maximizing services to its citizens [1]. It is a city that is managed by a network and provides its citizens with services and content via the network using both fixed and mobile smart-city infrastructure, based on higher performance information and communication technology (ICT) [2].

In the smart-city age, government services aim to provide many benefits such as humanizing the processes and operations of government services and improving information sharing between the government and community. It also delivers citizens the services in professional means, securely, safely, expediently, and with significant time savings. However, implementing smart government requires its citizen to understand and accept these services to achieve the intended plan of the government initiative [3]. Mobile government (M-government) is seen as a class of E-government applications and refers to any transaction thru mobile technologies. For the purpose of this chapter, the terms M-government and smart government are used interchangeably.

The research aims to discuss the M-government services available in various countries. With this aim, this chapter identifies the factors that affect the successful adoption of mobile services from the academic perspectives. Mobile technologies are one of the pillars of smart cities; however, technologies that are available to use are not very welcomed by the end-users. The study will help to understand the key issues surrounding the mobile applications that hamper the successful operations of M-government. If the technologies of M-government cannot smoothly operate then the vision of having a smart city in place will be impossible. In fact, one of the main digital government project failure is lack of awareness of the potential factors that may help people or citizens to adopt the services, because smart government require engagement and use by people. Therefore this research work will provide a theoretical framework or conceptual model to help us to pursue further empirical research for successful implementation of smart government and smart cities.

1.2 E-government and M-government

There is a strong relationship between E-government and M-government. The main reasons that influence the move from E-government to M-government are mobile devices penetration, appearance of mobile Internet, mobile applications, and services [4]. Internet-enabled mobile devices’ penetration rates are growing compared to the traditional wired personal computers (PCs) as well as Internet penetration rates. This spectacular growth has changed how citizens perceive the mobile phones functionality [5]. It is no longer used only for voice communication anymore, but also as a way for convenient connectivity to the Internet used for transferring information, exchanging instant messages, and emails as well as doing business transactions.

E-government involves a multidimensional approach embracing the consideration (from the strategic layer to the technical layer) of distinct aspects (organizational, cultural, economic, social, and political) and the core phases of E-government (from information to personalization level of E-government maturity). Among other things, enumeration of success factors that are crucial for adopting E-government is becoming an important task. Most governments around the globe utilize the latest ICT to improve services’ delivery to citizens by introducing E-government [6,7].

E-government has been defined as the application of ICTs to transform the efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, and accountability of informational and transactional exchanges within government units, between government units at state and local levels, citizens, and businesses; and to empower citizens through access and use of public information and public services. Previous researches and other works allow us to draw the following concept of E-government. E-government represents:

• • E-administration: Improving government processes by using ICTs and government process management.
• • E-government services: Providing government services electronically for citizens, businesses, employees, and other stakeholders.
• • E-democracy: Improving transparency and democratic decision making as well as citizen’s participation.
• • E-governance: Developing cooperation, networking, and partnerships between government units, citizens, and business.

In the last decade, some of the governments have observed the rapid progression of wireless technologies and the extensive of Internet-enabled mobile devices in many countries [4]. This encouraged these governments to move naturally toward mobile government as a next step to improve the quality and delivery of their services [8,9]. M-government is an added value to the E-government, since citizens will be able to access E-government services using mobile technologies such as mobile phones as well as Wi-Fi enabled devices and wireless networks in delivering public services [10].

1.3 M-government adoption in developing countries

M-government is essential for socio-economic development of a country with such support that a government cannot efficiently operate. In the many countries, mobile services such as M-payment and M-banking are available. To my knowledge, the adoption of M-government in many developing countries is generally not taken seriously by academia and practitioners. By reviewing the existing literature, the chapter will identify the determinants of the success acc...