Smart cities - time to involve people?

Research undertaken by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has found that, despite considerable investment by the UK government, local authorities and businesses, there is a basic lack of awareness among the British public about what a smart city is, does and its potential to improve citizens’ quality of life.

Our findings suggest that while there has been some progress in making some of our cities smarter, there is much more to be done to involve the public. The danger is that smart cities may be developed without sufficient insight into what people actually want them to deliver.