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Empowered Cities? An Analysis of the Structure and Generated Value of the Smart City Ghent

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Smart City

Part of the book series: Progress in IS ((PROIS))

Abstract

Smart cities have gained momentum as a conceptual model which embodies a fresh wave of techno-optimism and emphasizes the positive effects of ICT and other innovative technologies in a city, often in combination with multidisciplinary collaborative partnerships. This article assesses a series of six smart city initiatives within one local city ecosystem by proposing a conceptual framework which is then used to analyze the architecture, value flows and contextual dimensions of the smart city Ghent. The results of our analysis show the multi-level collaborative value creation potential in a smart city and shed light on the complexity of these processes. The main conclusion is that current smart city initiatives face the challenge of evolving from demonstrators towards real sustainable value. Smart cities often have a technological deterministic, project-based approach, which forecloses a sustainable, permanent and growing future for the project outcomes.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    http://www.citadelonthemove.eu/

  2. 2.

    http://www.ghentlivinglab.be/en

  3. 3.

    http://www.openlivinglabs.eu/

  4. 4.

    https://www.zwermgent.be/

  5. 5.

    http://www.smart-ip.eu/

  6. 6.

    For academic research on this project see [65, 66]

  7. 7.

    http://appsforghent.be/

  8. 8.

    http://www.okfn.be/

  9. 9.

    http://www.mediatuin.be/projecten/future-legends

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. iMinds—MICT, Ghent University, Korte Meer 11, Ghent, Belgium

    Bastiaan Baccarne, Peter Mechant & Dimitri Schuurman

Authors
  1. Bastiaan Baccarne
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  2. Peter Mechant
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  3. Dimitri Schuurman
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Correspondence to Bastiaan Baccarne .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, University of Genova, Genova, Italy

    Renata Paola Dameri

  2. Université Paris IX Dauphine, Paris, France

    Camille Rosenthal-Sabroux

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Baccarne, B., Mechant, P., Schuurman, D. (2014). Empowered Cities? An Analysis of the Structure and Generated Value of the Smart City Ghent. In: Dameri, R., Rosenthal-Sabroux, C. (eds) Smart City. Progress in IS. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06160-3_8

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