Future Smart City Competencies in Response to Inclusivity

Smart cities, as a prevailing trend in urban development, pose significant challenges for their architects. At the core of this challenge lies the unresolved debate between proponents of urban intelligence defined by the implementation of increasingly sophisticated technologies and those advocating for intelligence as the capability of urban stakeholders to enable cities to “think” both individually and collectively. Without taking a definitive stance on either viewpoint, the authors propose a compromise achieved through interdisciplinary competencies. These competences should not focus solely on rational thinking, but should also include socially useful and transversal skills that ensure sustainable social development and contribute to the common good. Individuals equipped with such competencies transcend the boundaries of their specializations, leveraging insights from diverse domains to create novel approaches. These future-oriented competencies for smart cities are pivotal to fostering intelligent and sustainable urban development. Another critical area involves the development of competencies for the future of smart cities, particularly through continuous education, hands-on practices, networking, and monitoring the latest trends and technologies in the smart city domain. A significant challenge here lies in identifying educational efforts most aligned with the needs of their target audiences. Competency-building also encompasses fostering inclusivity. The inclusive approach is an element of diversity management, and it is important to pay attention not only to the positive aspects, but also to the very aspects of different individuals. Education and learning in the context of smart city development – and at every stage of its evolution – should be astutely supported by technologies that co-create the smart city ecosystem. A key, albeit practically unattainable, outcome of this process would be the qualitative evolution of competencies, as they adapt to the emergence of new stakeholder groups. Over time, this evolution would facilitate enhanced collaboration, participation, and readiness to implement principles of inclusivity across all dimensions of social life.