Kitchin, Rob (2015) Making sense of smart cities: addressing present shortcomings. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, 8. pp. 131-136. ISSN 1752-1386

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Abstract

This commentary characterises and critiques research on smart cities. I argue that much of the writing and rhetoric about smart cities seeks to appear non-ideological, commonsensical and pragmatic. More critically orientated scholarship, while making vital conceptual and political interventions, presently has four shortcomings that inhibit making sense of and refashioning the smart city agenda: the lack of detailed genealogies of the concept and initiatives, the use of canonical examples and one-size fits all narratives, an absence of indepth empirical case studies of specific smart city initiatives and comparative research that contrasts smart city developments in different locales and weak collaborative engagement with various stakeholders. These shortcomings are elaborated, accompanied with suggestions for addressing them.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	smart cities; theory; empirical research; critical scholarship; JEL Classifications; R00; R58;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Geography Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Institutes > National Institute for Regional and Spatial analysis, NIRSA
Item ID:	7273
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsu027
Depositing User:	Prof. Rob Kitchin
Date Deposited:	14 Sep 2016 15:04
Journal or Publication Title:	Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Refereed:	No
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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