Smart Cities - Policy and Regulatory Frameworks

Abstract

The paper aims at highlighting the policies and regulatory frameworks of smart cities. For that purpose, the paper will first outline the international framework, including Goal 11 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aims at making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. The latter necessitates the development of smart cities, since highly sophisticated ICT-based applications and services will not only contribute to greater energy efficiency but also improve the safety and well-being of inhabitants through for instance automated streetlights and better transportation solutions. Considering that more than 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, the switch to digital technologies allowing for smarter and more inclusive cities, where waste, resource consumption and environmental impacts are significantly reduced, is imperative to reach the SDGs. The paper will then investigate the existence of an internationally recognized definition for smart cities and different international assessment mechanisms. Hereinafter, the paper will look at the implementation of various initiatives at the national level of different countries, among them Egypt. The paper will close with addressing the critical question of dealing with highly sensitive data in an ethically responsible manner in the scope of smart cities. Against that background, the European Union’s legal framework for data protection in the virtual space will be assessed against a global citizen-driven initiative on promoting digital rights in smart cities.

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