Abstract

The idea of smart cities is timely considering that urbanisation is inevitable. While smart city as a concept has gained popularity over the past few years, there is vagueness in the definition, as multiple aspects including governance, public transport and traffic, waste management, entertainment and safety among others, need to be considered.

Europe is among the most urbanised regions on the globe. It is estimated that by 2020 around 80% of Europeans will be living in urban areas, in several countries the proportion will be 90% or more. As we continue to magnetise towards urban hubs we need smart cities – places where networks and services are made more efficient with the use of digital and telecommunication technologies for the benefit of inhabitants, businesses and the environment. The EU is trying to ensure that smart solutions for cities can be explored, implemented and replicated.

The present paper defines some of the aspects of the smart city as safety as well as specific models of smart and safe city will be discussed.