What does it mean smart for European city? The theory of three generations of Smart City

Abstract

The article is focused on the concept of Smart City and theory of its three generations. Facing the challenges of modernity (rapidly growing cities, demographic and environmental changes), cities choose Smart City as their development path. However, going through several phases of changes, the Smart City concept has become a multifaceted phenomenon, analysed by many researchers. The aim of this article is to find an answer to the research question: what does it mean smart for European city, and what are the principles of this? Firstly the approaches of defining Smart City are analysed in this research, then generations/models of the Smart City are presented, and at the end the principles of transforming the city to Smart City are described. Knowledge about substantive changes in the understanding of the component smart in Smart City concept is very important for administration, politicians and authorities of cities that want to be smart, as well as for researchers of this phenomenon for assessment of the progress and creation of recommendations for such cities. This article is theoretical, analytical and explanatory.