Artificial Intelligence in the Urban Environment: Smart Cities as Models for Developing Innovation and Sustainability

Abstract

Climate change, overpopulation and the squandering of resources currently pose problems of such magnitude that they require a change in the trend to mitigate their effects. It is essential to make society aware of the facts and to educate the population about the advantages that new technologies can provide for efficient urban development. We therefore ask whether an ordinary medium-sized city can become a Smart City. In order to assess this possibility, our study analyzes different models of Smart Cities implemented in Spain (e.g., Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga and Santander), contrasting them with the specific case of one city that is not yet a Smart City (Granada) in order to discuss which strategic technological actions to implement in different topical areas of action: the economy, sustainability, mobility, government, population, and quality of life. The study uses Cohen’s wheel to give researchers in the field a series of indicators and factors that can be used to analyze public data with statistical methods in order to obtain clear positive scores for Madrid and Barcelona. The analysis shows Granada’s deficiencies in the scores for digital government, accessibility, the efficiency of public transport, and mobility, among others. Finally, the data obtained demonstrate the need to implement an integrated dashboard with different proposals in the strategic areas analyzed in order to achieve the transformation of conventional cities into Smart Cities.