Smart Cities in China

Abstract

Our time is characterized by strong transformations that are visible in new social, economical, geopolitical arrangements and because of them there is a series of new issues and needs that only 10 years ago would have been imaginable. Urbanization is every day more consistent, it has characteristics and proportions never met before and it is forecasted that in 2050 the global population will reach the quote of 9 billion people and that 70% of population will live in cities. Smart cities are the solution found to contrast recent times' most urgent problems as the aforementioned urbanization, environmental pollution, and cities technology innovation. The objective of this thesis is to explain the concept of smart cities, making a deep analysis of all its aspects and hypothesizing a future development. At the beginning I will start with a definition and the history of this terminology, following with the analysis of the development of the first projects (first and second chapter). Secondly I will transfer this concept to the Chinese cities, making some concrete example of operation and distinguishing all main smart cities aspects: smart mobility, smart economy, smart environment, smart living, smart people and smart governance (third chapter). Lastly, the theme of surveillance and state control will be the object of the fourth chapter, with some consideration about possible further development in the future (conclusion).