Written as part of the MSc in Project Management Program at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School by Eoin Dick and Elif Karakulak.

1. Major Report
Smarter Projects For Smart Cities

2. 1. ABSTRACT
Smart cities are the cities of the future. They are at the cutting edge of technology and innovation. The purpose of
this report is to develop a complete understanding of best practices surrounding smart city projects, to analyse
past and current Smart City Projects and to learn how smart city projects can be better run in the future.
Word Count: 20,057
2

3. 2. Anti-Plagiarism Statement
We declare that all materials included in this
report is the end result of our own work and
that due acknowledgement has been given in
the bibliography and references to ALL sources
be they printed, electronic or personal.
Eoin Dick 11387401
Elif Karakulak 15201286
3

4. 3 Executive Summary
Smart cities are the cities of the future. They are at the cutting edge of technology and innovation. The success of
future smart city projects will directly impact our quality of life. This makes it vital to understand the successes
and failings of current project management practices surrounding smart cities.
The purpose of this report is to develop a complete understanding of best practices surrounding smart city
projects, to analyse past and current smart city projects and to learn how smart city projects can be better run in
the future.
From our research we saw the potential that smart cities have to enrich our lives. We were also shocked by the
scale of the failings where many projects fail to follow current best practices. Many projects were seriously
deficient in effective Project Planning, Risk Management, Scope Management, Project Procurement, Stakeholder
Management, Project Monitoring and Controlling, and Project Communication.
The areas which had the greatest impact on lack of project success were insufficient planning and poor
stakeholder management. The deviation from best practices in these areas is having a serious impact on the
ability of smart city projects to meet their strategic goals. If this is not addressed, then future projects will also
suffer.
4

5. In order to address these concerns, we have developed a set of thirteen
recommendations. Those recommendations are below. We highly recommend that any
organisation involved in, or considering becoming involved in future smart city projects
should consider these recommendations as a means to execute more effective smart city
projects in the future.
Detailed recommendations can be seen on page 90.
5
• Invest Time and Resources for an
Appropriate Planning Phase.
• Identify and Map Stakeholders.
• Use Formal Change Control Procedures.
• Involve Key Stakeholders as Early as
Possible.
• Formally Plan Project Communication.
• Develop a Comprehensive Risk
Management Plan.
• Plan Risk Management Program/Portfolio
Level.
• Use Formal Monitoring and Reporting
Procedures.
• Use KPIs and Clearly Defined Project
Metrics.
• Develop Institutional Knowledge Around
Procurement.
• Consider Establishing a PMO.
• Establish Dedicated Case Studies for PM
Methodology Study in New Projects to
Develop New Standards and Best
Practices.
• Develop an Independent Project
Selection Mechanism.

6. 6
Table of Contents
1 Abstract 2
2 Plagiarism Statement 3
3 Executive Summary 4
4 Table of Contents 6
5 Introduction 10
6 Methodology 12
6.1 Internet and Media 14
6.2 Academic Literature 14
6.3 Business Information Sources 15
6.4 Government Policy Documents and Websites 16
6.5 Case Studies 18
6.6 The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) 18
7 What is A Smart City? Literature Review 19
7.1 Smart City Definitions 20
7.2 Smart City Characteristics 25
7.2.1 Smart Governance 25
7.2.2 Smart Economy 25
7.2.3 Smart Mobility 26
7.2.4 Smart Environment 26
7.2.5 Smart People 26
7.2.6 Smart Living 26
7.3 What Are the Benefits? 27
7.3.1 Public Safety and Security 27
7.3.2 Tourism 27
7.3.3 Healthcare 28
7.3.4 Transportation 28
7.3.5 Energy 28
7.3.6 Utilities 29
7.3.7 Administration 29
7.3.8 Education 29
7.3.9 Real Estate 29

7. 7
7.4 What Does a Successful Smart City Look Like? 30
7.4.1 Transportation 32
7.4.2 Energy 34
7.4.3 Connectivity 36
7.4.4 In The Home 36
7.4.5 Public Health 39
7.5 Current Trends in Smart City Projects 40
7.6 Europe 2020 Goals 41
7.7 Types of Smart City Projects 42
7.7.1 Smart Neighbourhoods 42
7.7.2 Testbed Micro Infrastructures 42
7.7.3 Intelligent Traffic Systems 43
7.7.4 Resource Management Systems 43
7.7.5 Participation Platforms 44
8 Case Studies of Smart City Projects. 45
8.1 SMILE Project 47
8.1.1 Background 47
8.1.2 Goals 47
8.1.3 Stakeholders 48
8.1.4 Status of the Project 48
8.1.5 Activities 49
8.1.6 Problems 51
8.1.7 Lessons Learned 51
8.2 BEEM-UP Project 52
8.2.1 Background 52
8.2.2 Goals 52
8.2.3 Stakeholders 52
8.2.4 Activities 53
8.2.5 Status of the Project 53
8.2.6 Challenges 53
8.2.7 Has It Met Its Objectives? 54
8.2.8 Lessons Learned 54

8. 8
8.3 Buildsmart Energy 55
8.3.1 Background 55
8.3.2 Goals 55
8.3.3 Main Stakeholders 56
8.3.4 Status of the Project 56
8.3.5 Activities 57
8.3.6 Problems 58
8.3.7 Has It Met Its Objectives? 58
8.3.8 Lessons Learned 58
8.4 SUCCESS Mobility 59
8.4.1 Background 59
8.4.2 Goals 60
8.4.3 Main Stakeholders 60
8.4.4 Activities 61
8.4.5 Status of The Project 61
8.4.6 Challenges and Problems 61
8.4.7 Will The Project Meet Its Objectives? 63
8.4.8 Lessons Learned 63
9 How Do We Improve Future Smart City Projects? 64
9.1 Planning 66
9.2 Stakeholder Management 69
9.3 Scope Management 73
9.4 Risk Management 75
9.4.1 Management Reserve 76
9.4.2 Contingency Reserve 76
9.4.3 Technological Risk 77
9.5 Procurement 78
9.6 Monitoring and Controlling 79
9.7 Project Communication Management 82
10 Conclusions 85
10.1 Poor Project Planning 86
10.2 Risk Management 86

9. 9
10.3 Scope Management 86
10.4 Project Procurement 87
10.5 Stakeholder Management 87
10.6 Project Monitoring and Controlling 87
10.7 Communication 87
11 Recommendations 88
11.1 Invest Time and Resources for an Appropriate Planning Phase. 90
11.2 Identify and Map Stakeholders. 90
11.3 Use Formal Change Control Procedures. 90
11.4 Involve Key Stakeholders as Early as Possible. 90
11.5 Formally Plan Project Communication. 90
11.6 Develop a Comprehensive Risk Management Plan. 91
11.7 Plan Risk Management Program/Portfolio Level. 91
11.8 Use Formal Monitoring and Reporting Procedures. 91
11.9 Use KPIs and Clearly Defined Project Metrics. 91
11.10 Develop Institutional Knowledge Around Procurement. 92
11.11 Consider Establishing a PMO. 92
11.12 Establish Dedicated Case Studies for Project Management Methodology Study in
New Projects to Develop New Standards and Best Practices.
92
11.13 Develop an Independent Project Selection Mechanism. 92
12 References 93

10. INTRODUCTION
10

11. 5. INTRODUCTION
A smart city is the city of the future. These interconnected and intelligent cities allow
our lives to flow and become increasingly efficient. Everything we do is becoming more
and more connected, from the way we communicate to the way we get around. Our
technology is getting smarter and so are our cities.
Smart cities are also an area that is growing at an astonishing pace. The global smart
city technology market is expected to be worth more than $27.5 billion annually by
2023, compared to $8.8 billion in 2014. (Navigant, 2015) This increase in investment
means more jobs, especially in project management.
It is therefore vital that we as future project managers understand the challenges and
difficulties inherent with smart city projects, and also learn how we can run better
smart city projects in the future.
In this report we will analyse current trends in smart city projects and whether current
best practices are being followed.
We will accomplish this through a thorough literature review of what a smart city is and
case study analysis of four ongoing smart city projects in the EU. From this we will look
at the main problems that smart city projects are currently facing before concluding
how these problems could be avoided. This analysis shall consider seven main project
management knowledge areas. Those areas are: Project Planning, Risk Management,
Scope Management, Project Procurement, Stakeholder Management, Project
Monitoring and Controlling and also Project Communication. Finally, we will present our
recommendations as to how smart city projects can be more effectively executed in the
future.
11

12. 12

13. 6.Methodology
In order to paint a complete picture of smart city projects, a multitude of
information sources are required.
In order to accomplish this, we drew upon a wide variety of information sources
for our research. From this we have analysed what a smart city is, how it
operates, and also how can we run better smart city projects in the future. The
following sources were used:
6.1 Internet and Media
6.2 Academic Literature
6.3 Business Information Sources
6.4 Government Policy Documents and Websites
6.5 Case Studies
6.6 The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)
13

14. 6.1 Internet and Media
Initially we began by familiarising ourselves with smart cities, our initial
information gathering was done primarily through internet and media
searches. The purpose of this approach was to provide us with a high level
and simplified understanding of smart cities and smart city projects. To
jump straight into academic papers would have been too technical for our
limited understanding at the time. This initial research was very beneficial
as it gave us a good foundation of knowledge and also ideas as to which
areas we needed to focus on.
6.2 Academic Literature
The next step in our process was to scan the academic literature. This was
done by using Google Scholar and the UCD Library One Search. We decided
that we would use only journals with an ABS rating of 1 to 4 stars for the
purpose of our research unless we found texts which were especially
relevant to our research. In this case we would make certain exceptions.
Our initial searches in this area were not as successful as we would have
have hoped. We found that, as smart cities are a relatively new
phenomenon, there is not a great deal of academic literature on the
subject, and that literature which we found was often from an engineering
perspective rather than a project management one, and therefore not as
relevant to this paper. In the case of smart city projects, which are at the
cutting edge of modern technology, the academic literature certainly lags
behind industry.
14

15. 6.3 Business Information Sources
This led us to our next information source, companies currently involved in and
executing smart city projects. We used reports by consultancy firms and
companies to guide our research. We also used some promotional materials,
including brochures, videos and speeches made by executives. Whilst these
were often very informative, we were cautious of the fact that, as they were
presented by the companies themselves, they may have overemphasised the
positives and neglected to mention the downsides. This potential for bias has
been accounted for in our report.
It is also important to note that while many companies offer a great deal of
information on smart city technologies, they maintain much tighter control over
information regarding their own smart city projects. This posed a certain
obstacle to our research, yet it was one we were ultimately able to overcome.
This was accomplished by focusing on publicly funded smart city projects. In
fact, many large infrastructure projects, including smart city projects are now
funded through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). As they are at least partially
taxpayer funded, there is greater accountability as their stakeholders are the
public, and as a consequence far more project data is published.
15

16. 6.4 Government Policy Documents and Websites
In order to understand smart city projects it is also important to understand the
driving forces behind them. With this in mind, we analysed a multitude of
government policy documents and white papers. These came from multiple
countries within the European Union and also from the EU itself. Many of them
focused upon meeting the EU’s Europe 2020 goals as we will discuss in our
literature review.
A variety of these documents are available through the European Union’s websites
(especially eu-smartcities.eu) and also those of national government websites. For
the purpose of this report, in order to ensure consistency and also due to the good
data quality, we have decided to limit the scope to projects within the European
Union.
16

17. 17
EU Smart Cities Information System.
(http://smartcities-infosystem.eu)
Market Place of the European Innovation
Partnership on Smart Cities and
Communities
(https://eu-smartcities.eu/eu-projects)
IBM Research Lab Ireland. (Focus on
smarter cities and mini-cities analytics.)
(http://www.research.ibm.com/labs/irelan
d/index.shtm)
EU Digital Agenda for Europe.
(https://ec.europa.eu/digital-
agenda/en/smart-cities)
Amsterdam Smart Cities.
(http://amsterdamsmartcity.com/about-
asc)
Current: Powered by GE
(http://currentbyge.com)
Intel Smart City Initiative.
(http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/e
n/internet-of-things/smart-city-
initiative.html)
Intel Collaborative Research Institute.
(http://www.cities.io)
Vienna University of technology
(http://smart-cities.eu)
Open and Agile Smart Cities.
(http://oascities.org)
Main Websites Used:

18. 6.5 Case Studies
Once we had a good depth of understanding regarding smart city projects, we chose
four smart city projects to be the subject of our case studies. Those projects were:
• SMILE, a mobility project.
• BEEM-UP, an energy and ICT project.
• Buildsmart, an energy project.
• SUCCESS, a mobility project.
Within each project we analysed it from start to finish. From this, we concluded what
went well and what did not, and determined whether the project management
methodology followed current industry best practices and trends, and how in the
future, similar projects could be run more effectively.
6.6 The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)
Since the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is the gold standard in
project management, it would be impossible to complete our research without
referring to standards. The PMI methodology contained within the PMBOK will act as
our guide to whether our chosen projects are adhering to best practices, and also
how smart city projects can be improved upon in the future. We drew upon the
process outlined in the PMBOK and also several of the main knowledge areas. Those
knowledge areas were: Project Planning, Risk Management, Scope Management,
Project Procurement, Stakeholder Management, Project Monitoring and Controlling
and also Project Communication.
18

19. What Is A Smart City?
Literature Review
19

20. 7 What is A Smart City? Literature Review
What is a smart city? This sounds like a simple question, yet defining this, like the smart cities
themselves is inherently complex. In this section we will consider what a smart city is and
how it operates, as well as creating an immersive picture of what it is like to live in a truly
smart city.
7.1 Smart City Definitions
Defining what a smart city is has been one of the main issues in the literature both amongst
academia and within industry. Various smart city definitions have been put forward. Though
the majority of the definitions constitute similar smart elements, a comprehensive smart city
definition does not exist.
A high number of the smart city definitions focus on the IT element of a smart city. For
instance, Harrison et al. (2010) formulates their definition of a smart city around three IT
dimensions: instrumented, interconnected, and intelligent. Instrumented stands for
gathering actual time data from physical sources such as smart phones, cameras and kiosks
etc. as well as from virtual sources such as social networks. Interconnected refers to
integrating the data collected with enterprise computing platforms and utilising the
information through the services provided in a city. Lastly, intelligent means improving the
operational decision making process through incorporating complex data analytics,
optimisation and visualisation. (Harrison et al., 2010)
20

21. 7.1 Smart City Definitions Continued
Likewise, the focus of Washburn and Sindhu’s (2010) definition of a smart city is smart
computing technologies. According to Washburn and Sindhu, a smart city is a city where
the smart computing technologies are being used in order to make smarter, intersected
and efficient infrastructure investments and city services. Those services contain
education, healthcare, real estate, administrative services, transportation, security and
utilities. (Washburn and Sindhu, 2010)
MIT’s definition of a smart city follows a similar approach. According to MIT (2013), smart
cities are “system of systems, and that there are emerging opportunities to introduce
digital nervous systems, intelligent responsiveness, and optimisation at every level of
system integration”.
However, Caragliu et. al (2011) argues that limiting the concept of smart city to the level of
integrated and advanced internet and communication technologies is not sufficient. Smart
ICT infrastructure needs to be supported by investments in human and social capital, as
well as transportation. Further, these investments, which involve participatory and
sustainable management of natural resources, should offer a good standard of living and
foster sustainable economic development (Caragliu et al., 2011). Caragliu et al.’s definition
has been acknowledged by Schaffers et al. (2011), as well.
21

22. 7.1 Smart City Definitions Continued
Another broad definition of a smart city is introduced by the Centre of Regional Science
at the Vienna University of Technology (2007), which suggests six different identifiers of
a smart city: smart economy, smart people, smart governance, smart mobility, smart
environment, and smart living. Based on these characteristics, a smart city can be
defined as a progressive and well-functioning city embodying smart capabilities and
actions where self-determining, independent and mindful citizens inhabit. (Centre of
Regional Science at the Vienna University of Technology, 2007)
Hollands puts forward various aspects of a progressive smart city. According to
Hollands (2008), the first focus of transforming a city into a smart city should be its
citizens and human capital instead of concentrating on IT. Advancements in IT need to
facilitate further improving the education level of its citizens to enable people to
participate in the decision making process regarding the quality of life and urban
environment. Another significant element of a smart city is to form a balance in the
usage and exploitation of information technology between different social and political
groups throughout the city. Additionally, a balance should also be established among
sustainability and economic development. (Hollands, 2008)
22

23. 7.1 Smart City Definitions Continued
The people aspect of the smart city definition has been emphasised by Haque (2012).
According to Haque (2012), the people and society in a city has to be at the centre of a
smart city model. This model needs to facilitate the well-being of its citizens and promote
a high quality of life. In a smart city, initiatives that enhance the significance of cities from
the perspective of its citizens together with providing various activities for the people
should be stimulated. (Haque, 2012)
Specifically regarding transportation, Frost & Sullivan (2012) state how “Beginning with
preparing a city for more efficient transportation operations by collecting and processing
roadway data, traffic and some emergency situations can be effectively managed. As
information and data from more sources is gathered, integrated with the roadway data,
and processed, the scale of things that can be done with the resulting intelligence
increases. By extending the capabilities of the transportation management system even
more, the amount of value produced for a city’s operations continues to increase.” In
essence, the more data is gathered and effectively processed, the greater the potential to
optimise a city’s operation.
Moreover, Deloitte (2015) define smart cities as cities embodying a high quality of life and
stimulating sustainable economic growth through intelligent and participatory usage of
natural resources by investing in human and social capital, infrastructure and disruptive
technologies.
23

24. 7.1 Smart City Definitions Continued
Furthermore, different institutions within the EU adopt different definitions of a
smart city. The European Parliament suggests a working definition of a smart city as
“a city seeking to address public issues via ICT-based solutions on the basis of a multi-
stakeholder, municipality based partnership” (European Parliament, 2014). The
European Commission, on the other hand, describes a smart city as “a place where
the traditional networks and services are made more efficient with the use of digital
and telecommunication technologies, for the benefit of its inhabitants and
businesses.” (European Commission, 2016)
As illustrated above, smart city definitions vary in the literature. Given the fact that
innovation and technology are an integral part of smart cities, with the evolving
technology it is highly likely that the existing definitions may shift and be extended in
the future. For the purposes of this study, the definition of a smart city is based on
the EU’s working definition due to the fact that the case studies selected within this
study are EU funded projects.
24

25. 7.2 Smart City Characteristics
As explained in the previous section, a variety of definitions of a smart city exist in the
literature. Nevertheless, all of the definitions point to similar characteristics of a smart city.
The EU puts forward a comprehensive framework of characteristics of smart cities in
recognising the initiatives that foster making the cities smarter. These characteristics are
namely smart governance, smart economy, smart mobility, smart environment, smart
people, and smart living. (European Parliament, 2014)
7.2.1 Smart Governance
Smart governance points out to participatory decision-making processes that involve
citizens, public and private organisations, civil society and EU institutions. The triggers of
smart governance are the use of ICT and enhanced networks within and outside a city.
Supported by comprehensive data and analytics, e-government services should be
integrated to public governance. All data and decision making processes needs to be
transparent and open to the general public. Collaboration of all public, private and civil
society sectors aiming to promote a smarter city is also an integral part of smart
governance. (European Parliament, 2014)
7.2.2 Smart Economy
The integration of e-commerce and e-business activities, incorporation of ICT to
manufacturing and service delivery processes, innovation supported by ICT, introduction of
new goods and services, alternative business models, and improving productivity
contributes to a smarter economy in a city. Businesses in smart economies embody smooth
movement of goods and services internationally as well as locally. Smart economies also
facilitate clusters among business communities. (European Parliament, 2014)
25

26. 7.2.3 Smart Mobility
ICT integrated transportation systems and logistics are another characteristic of smart
cities. Different types of transportation modes such as trains, cars, buses etc. are
interlinked, making mobility easier and accessible for the citizens. Mobility in a smart city
has safer, more sustainable and more environmentally friendly transportation alternatives
and promotes clean energy options. The real time data regarding the time and location of
transports is available and easily accessible in smart mobility. (European Parliament,
2014)
7.2.4 Smart Environment
Smart environment stands for smart initiatives and their implementation in terms of
energy usage, pollution and waste control. Renewable energy and products, greener
buildings and green urban planning are also prioritised in smart cities. Higher water
quality, better waste management systems, promotion of cleaner and more sustainable
energy, and actions for diminishing pollution contribute to smart environment in a city.
(European Parliament, 2014)
7.2.5 Smart People
As people are an integral part of cities, the societies in smart cities demonstrate smarter
characteristics. The people of smart cities have better ICT skills and easier access to
education and training opportunities. Societies in smart cities are highly inclusive and
nurture an enabling environment for creativity and innovation. Smart people have the
ability to access, analyse, contribute to and customise data for personal use in terms of
decision making or forming new goods and services. (European Parliament, 2014)
7.2.6 Smart Living
Smart living points out to the integration of ICT in everyday life of citizens. Their
behaviour and consumption habits are also shaped by ICT. A healthy lifestyle in a safe
environment that offers various cultural activities is another feature of smart living.
Further to this, accommodation and housing opportunities that a smart city provides are
of superior quality. (European Parliament, 2014)
26

27. 7.3 What Are the Benefits?
Smart cities provide numerous benefits in the everyday life of their citizens by enabling a
higher quality of life as well as facilitating the governing bodies in the cities to deliver
more efficient and effective services to them.
7.3.1 Public Safety and Security
• By utilising real-time sensors and surveillance cameras integrated throughout
the city, any possible incident or threat to public safety can be prevented or
responded to at a faster pace and more effectively. (Deloitte, 2015)
• Better detection of threats to public safety by exploiting analytics on video
cameras and CCTV. (Washburn and Sindhu, 2010)
• Rapid responses to emergency situations such as fire by monitoring real-time
data and high technology communication tools. (Washburn and Sindhu, 2010)
7.3.2 Tourism
Through examining the data regarding the motions of tourists and implementing real-time
tourism triggering actions, the level of tourism can be dispersed throughout a time period
and/or over a geography. (Deloitte, 2015)
27

28. 7.3.3 Healthcare
• Better and more efficient health services, more accurate diagnostics and
tailored health treatment via analysing patient data and exploiting artificial
intelligence in health services. (Deloitte, 2015)
• More accessible patient records which can be use in both in the diagnosis
process and for research purposes. (Washburn and Sindhu, 2010)
• More accessible healthcare services through introducing remote services by
the assistance of videoconferencing applications. (Washburn and Sindhu,
2010)
• Providing the possibility for individuals that require constant care, to be
looked after in their own home by the usage of sensors and robotics.
(Deloitte, 2015)
7.3.4 Transportation
The reduction in traffic congestion and pollution caused by traffic through
more efficient use of transportation infrastructure and stimulating
alternative models of mobility such as carpooling, bicycle commuting, car
sharing or on-demand transportation services. (Deloitte, 2015)
7.3.5 Energy
• Higher savings on energy by utilising data and insights regarding energy
usage as well as using game mechanics and thinking to promote sustainable
energy and energy efficiency within individuals. (Deloitte, 2015)
• Easier alignment with the demand and supply in energy through adaptable
appliances in houses, which will enable individuals to respond to changes in
energy prices. (Deloitte, 2015)
28

29. 7.3.6 Utilities
• An increase in the efficiency of waste collection by installing sensors and
monitoring the data in waste collection bins. (Deloitte, 2015)
• Quicker identification of leakages and damages in the water distribution
infrastructure through placing sensors which also facilitates more efficient and
rapid response strategies. (Deloitte, 2015)
• The ability to distribute the required amount of energy, gas and water supply
through the smarter delivery infrastructure. (Deloitte, 2015)
7.3.7 Administration
• More efficient and smarter city management that is well aware of the situations
in the city through gathering real-time data and responding effectively.
(Deloitte, 2015)
• Better communication amongst administrative bodies via exploiting high
technology communication and cooperation tools. (Washburn and Sindhu,
2010)
7.3.8 Education
• Better accessible, higher quality and more affordable education services by
introducing initiatives such as online education alternatives and online
collaboration applications for the citizens which do not require students to
commute to school every day. (Deloitte, 2015)
7.3.9 Real Estate
• Lower operating costs, better occupancy rates and higher rent ratio in
environmentally friendly and energy efficient buildings. (Deloitte, 2015)
29

30. 30
7.4 What Does a Successful Smart City Look Like?
A true smart city is all around you, all encompassing, when operating, it makes the city
flow seamlessly. While no completely smart city exists at present, there are many which
are well on the way. At present, more than two-thirds of sampled Smart City projects
are still in the planning or pilot testing phases. (European Parliament, 2014)
A perfect example of a smart city in the making is Masdar city in Abu Dhabi. Whilst not
within the EU, Masdar city is the perfect example of a smart city built from the ground
up. Whereas most smart cities evolve out of existing cities, Masdar was designed as a
smart city from the start. This makes it the perfect exemplar of what a smart city can
accomplish.
When complete, it is anticipated that up to 40,00 people will live in Masdar city and up
to 50,000 will work and study there. (Masdar, 2016b)

31. Masdar City
Some of the stated benefits of Masdar city include:
Energy and water consumption
• Passive and intelligent building design that reduces energy and water demands by
40 percent (according to ASHRAE/Estidama building standards)
• World’s largest cluster of high-performance buildings that, together, create a real-
time laboratory to monitor and study how cities use, conserve and share
resources
• Buildings that meet a minimum Estidama certification of three pearls
(comparable to the LEED Gold certification for green buildings)
• Smart transportation network
Walkable and pedestrian-friendly city
• Design that encourages and promotes zero-carbon public transportation options
• Transportation options that include: 1) A driverless, point-to-point personal rapid
transit system; 2) a ride-sharing programme featuring electric vehicles; and 3)
accessible and strategically positioned car parks
• Future transportation options may include: 1) electric buses; and 2) a centralised,
zero-carbon, automated public transportation network
(Masdar, 2016a)
31

32. To gain a complete understanding of what a smart city looks like, in the following section,
we will examine several features which exemplify what living in a smart city is truly like.
7.4.1 Transportation
In a smart city the entire transportation infrastructure is interconnected. This allows for
greater efficiency and reduced energy consumption. The benefit of this reduced
consumption is positive in many ways. It decreases journey times, improves air quality,
reduces emissions and also saves money, as less fuel and electricity are wasted sitting in
traffic.
In a true smart city there are intelligent traffic management systems; these reduce
journey times and can give priority access to public transport such as trams and buses.
This system can also provide real time passenger information (RTPI) to passengers
waiting at train and bus stops or via apps, allowing them to know when the next
train/bus is coming and also give them an estimated journey time.
Smart ticketing is another benefit of a smart city. It allows for one ticket to access the
entire public transport network of a city. It can be topped up online or at stations and
uses RFID technology to pay fares. Many cities already have these in place, Dublin has the
Leap card and London has the Oyster card.
As a result of these interconnected networks, journeys flow seamlessly, no longer will
you be stuck sitting in traffic or left waiting for a train or bus, not knowing when or if it
will appear.
32

33. Apps play a crucial role in transportation in smart cities. As already seen they can
provide you with real time information about services. They can also allow you to
summon transportation via your smart phone. These include ride sharing and ride
hailing apps such as: Hailo, Uber and Lyft.
In fact, it is also anticipated that soon you can use these apps to rent out your car
while on holidays or even at work. This is something that Tesla, an American electric
car company is pioneering as part of its “Master Plan, Part Deux”. (Musk, 2016)
Our cars are idle approximately 80 % of the time. In a smart city, the millions of
sensors on the cars within a city can be used to detect gas leaks, search for parking
spaces, prevent crime and locate lost or stolen items. (IBM Government, 2016)
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34. 7.4.2 Energy
A major challenge facing any city is its energy needs. We can no longer burn large amounts
of fossil fuels to supply our cities with the energy they require. This means switching to
cleaner and more renewable energy sources.
A smart city is capable of generating much of its own energy requirements. This is done
through micro generation. Micro generation is defined by the ESB as: “grid connected
electricity generation up to a maximum rating of 11kW when connected to the three phase
portion of the distribution grid.” (SEAI, 2009) This can be from rooftop solar panels and
water heaters, mini wind turbines on buildings and smaller generation such as biomass and
hydroelectric.
Whilst very clean, the energy generated from these sources is not as controllable as fossil
fuels. This means that effective energy management and storage is required in order to
function. This requires smart grid networks and local storage. The smart grid feeds
information to the generating assets and allows them to control generation by turning
resources, such as a hydroelectric power plant on or off.
In order to do this, powerful software is required. One of the leading providers of this is
GE. Their Predix software is one of the industry leaders.
34

35. This smart grid also requires energy storage. It is possible
to store energy generated from rooftop solar panels in
wall mounted battery packs. This allows you to generate
the electricity from the sun during the day, and use it
during the night. This is required as peak solar and peak
energy demand occur at different times.
One of the pioneers of this technology is Tesla with their
Powerwall device. It is also possible to use electric car
batteries connected to the smart grid in order to store
electricity for later use.
The efficient use of energy reduces the need to generate
electricity and therefore increases stability and emissions.
That is why efficiency is so important. In a smart city, the
increased efficiency created through the efficient IOT
platform allows us to use less energy which in turn is
cheaper for the consumer and better for the
environment.
35

36. 7.4.3 Connectivity
In a smart city, a major component is connectivity. If you can’t connect, you can’t take
advantage of the many other benefits that a smart city can provide. This can already be seen
in many cities today which provide free public access to Wi-Fi networks including Paris,
Barcelona, Amsterdam and many more. With the acceleration of technological progress and
the need for connectivity, free public Wi-Fi networks will be available in most cities in the
near future.
As well as transportation apps, there are also educational ones. These can be from
everything to interactive tourist guides, to education apps for children including Khan
Academy. It is even possible to take an entire degree course online with applications like
EDX.
7.4.4 In The Home
Smarter cities mean smarter homes. There are multiple aspects which make a house or
apartment in a smart city smarter and more efficient.
7.4.4.1 Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats allow your thermostat to learn from you. It takes your home’s heating
needs and learns your habits. This allows it to program the heating in the most efficient way
so that the house is not heated unnecessarily while you are out or at work. In fact, many
energy companies now supply these devices as they not only reduce consumption, but also
reduce the spikes in energy demand at peak times, which can cause difficulties for energy
providers.
36

37. 7.4.4.2 Smart Devices
Gone are the days where the only smart device in a home is the computer. In a
smart city everything is interconnected. This is everything from your coffee machine
which can be programmed to make you a coffee from your smartphone app to smart
fridges which automatically monitor the contents of your fridge and can notify you
when supplies are running low. They can even order groceries online.
7.4.4.3 NEST Devices
These connected devices can also be used to monitor the safety and security of your
home. This is smart cameras which can monitor security, children or mischievous
pets and also smart smoke alarms which can notify you in the event of a fire and
automatically notify emergency services.
7.4.4.4 Smarter Water Management
In smarter cities smarter water management is essential. In the smart home water
can be collected from rainwater and then used as so called grey-water in heating
systems and plumbing. It can also be purified through filters and a UV sterilizer and
used as drinking water. This is crucial in minimising the drain on our natural
resources, especially in areas which suffer from a deficit of clean drinking water due
to pollution or other issues.
7.4.4.5 Energy Generation and Storage
A smart home can generate and store its own energy. This is through micro-
generation as previously discussed above. Through this, a smart home reduces the
burden it places on the grid and increases its own energy security.
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38. 7.4.4.6 Smarter Parking
Parking a car in densely packed urban areas can be the bane of many car owners. In a smart
city, your car can park itself. This is not the future. The technology is available right now.
Many car companies offer park assist in their cars. However, Tesla goes a stage further. Using
the summon feature, you can stop outside your home, get out of your car, and it will not
only drive itself into the garage, but also plug itself in and charge itself overnight as well as
automatically installing updates. Then all you do in the morning is walk outside your front
door and summon the car with your smartphone. The car will then unplug and drive to you,
fully charged and ready for whatever business you have that day.
7.4.4.7 Green Roofs
Smart homes can be fitted with green roofs. These living roofs provide not only excellent
insulation for your home, but they reduce the amount of rainwater runoff preventing
flooding and also help to promote biodiversity by providing a sanctuary for wildlife,
especially birds. This wildlife can then be monitored using the cameras as previously
discussed and can act as an excellent educational tool for children.
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39. 7.4.5 Public Health
Smart cities are healthier cities. The way a smart city operates provides numerous health
benefits for its inhabitants.
7.4.5.1 Cleaner Air
The sensors in a smart city are constantly monitoring levels of air quality and pollution.
This is done through a distributed network of millions of sensors throughout the city. From
this data, steps can be taken to reduce pollution through controlling traffic flows, and
perhaps even by closing the city to traffic if air pollution reaches hazardous levels. This
was already seen in Rome and Milan in 2015. (BBC, 2015)
7.4.5.2 Safer Streets
The vast network of sensors and cameras in a smart city help to make it a safer place.
Security cameras with facial recognition can be used to prevent crime and also to locate
persons of interest or missing persons.
Sensors from smart streetlights and other sensors can also be used to determine the
location of gunfire by triangulating their position and alerting emergency responders.
7.4.5.3 Wearable Devices
Wearable devices can save lives. They can be used to monitor a person’s health including
the blood sugar levels of diabetic patients. If these devices sense that a person’s health is
in jeopardy, it can alert nearby medical facilities as to the issue and also the location of the
patient. From this an ambulance can be routed to them, being given special priority by the
intelligent traffic management system.
These devices can also monitor the activity levels and fitness levels of people in a smart
city, allowing them to be fitter and live healthier lives.
39

40. 7.5 Current Trends in Smart City Projects
Smart cities are the cities of the future. However, they are not the mainstream yet.
Considering smart cities are reliant on new and developing technologies, most
projects revolve around small scale projects, mostly as pilot programs or experimental
projects. This is necessary in order to develop the technologies and control systems
required to build smart cities on a larger scale. It remains to be seen whether many of
these projects are as scalable as hoped.
Many of the projects are focused around reducing emissions and increasing efficiency
in order to enable countries to meet the Europe 2020 goals, which we will discuss in
the next section of this report.
Smart city projects create interesting challenges for planners. This is in large part
because as a smart city is heavily reliant on the Internet of Things (IOT). Most of the
projects require combining traditional infrastructure projects with IT projects. As
these two types of projects are often managed very differently to each other, it is
important to choose the right strategy for the current project.
40

41. 7.6 Europe 2020 Goals
The EU is one of the most prominent investors behind smart city initiatives. By introducing
various funding instruments namely Structural Funds, Union Programmes such as Horizon
2020, and Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, the EU has been supporting the creation
of smart cities not only within the EU member countries but also among candidate and
neighbourhood countries. (European Commission, 2016)
The EU has introduced the Europe 2020 Strategy aiming to tackle the economic and social
challenges the Union is facing and has entered into a transformation period. The EU has
defined its 2020 goal as “smart, inclusive and sustainable growth” (European Commission,
2010).
Smart growth stands for an economic growth that is built on innovation and knowledge,
whereas inclusive growth points out to promoting social and geographical cohesion through
reaching high employment rates. The sustainable growth, on the other hand, refers to
developing a competitive economy, which is more environmentally friendly and incorporates
better use of resources (European Commission, 2010).
To achieve the Europe 2020 goal, the EU has identified the following key targets areas:
employment, investment in R&D, education, poverty and social inclusion, and climate and
energy at the national and EU level. (European Commission, 2010)
Smart city projects and initiatives are a useful tool in achieving both the Europe 2020 goal and
the key targets since they address every aspect that defines the living conditions in a city. All
of the key targets correspond to a specific characteristic of a smart city. Hence, smart city
initiatives contribute to reducing poverty, enhancing social inclusion, providing energy
efficient and greener solutions and applications and promoting education sources. A smart
city project can bring a city one step closer to the Europe 2020 goal either directly, indirectly,
or collectively i.e. by the cumulative synergistic effect of a number of smart city solutions.
(European Parliament, 2014)
In 2011, the EU has initiated European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and
Communities (EIP-SCC) as a way of accelerating better quality of life, interconnected cities and
integrating sustainable solutions. The partnership targets creating common solutions for the
common challenges in transforming cities to smart cities throughout Europe while at the
same time contributing to the Europe 2020 goals. (European Commission, 2013)
41

42. 7.7 Types of Smart City Projects
7.7.1 Smart Neighbourhoods
“Smart Neighbourhoods are neighbourhood-sized complete infrastructures. They are ICT-
enabled carbon-neutral and sustainable, and are designed to support Smart Environment,
Smart Mobility, Smart Economy and Smart Living.” (European Parliament, 2014)
These are smart cities but on a smaller scale. As they are small and not full cities, it is
therefore possible to test out larger scale technologies, without the inherent complexity of
rolling them out on a city wide basis. This iterative process enables the processes and
technologies to be refined and improved, so that when these technologies are applied on a
larger scale, the projects will run smoother and the technology will be most effectively
deployed.
7.7.2 Testbed Micro Infrastructures
“Testbed micro infrastructures are small city demonstration and testing pilots for Smart City
technology. They emphasise Smart Environment, Smart Mobility and Smart Economy. The
infrastructures are created by connecting as many things as possible (in the sense of the
‘Internet of Things’ – systems, sensors and physical objects). Operational overlay systems are
then implemented, to manage communication among these interconnected things with
minimal direct human involvement.” (European Parliament, 2014)
Effectively a massive outdoor lab in which to test smart city technologies, it enables a city
built around the internet of things (IoT) to be tested. This means a massive variety of smart
devices and sensors communicating with each other through the cloud. From this, large
amounts of data are collected on everything from travel times, to air quality. All of this data is
processed by a computer program which feeds this knowledge back into the system and
allows the program to manage the functioning of the city most effectively. This can be done
through controlling traffic patterns to giving alerts to city officials.
These micro infrastructures allow the development and testing of these devices, to see how
they interact with the system. This allows them to be refined, before being rolled out on a
larger scale.
42

43. 7.7.3 Intelligent Traffic Systems
“Traffic management Smart City projects focus on Smart Mobility and Smart Environment.
They are ICT-enabled systems, typically based on road sensors or active GPS81 (i.e. while
users have them ‘on’). The objective is to monitor real-time traffic information in order to
manage city traffic in the most efficient and environmentally friendly way possible.”
(European Parliament, 2014)
One of the best ways to reduce emissions and improve air quality is through the use of these
intelligent traffic management systems. Data is collected either from sensors built into the
road or traffic lights and also from users GPS data. This can come from apps such as google
maps or other GPS applications.
These sensors allow the the system to collect data on travel times and speed as well as
congestion. They can also provide users with estimated journey times. From this, the system
can manage traffic flows through altering the sequence of traffic lights and also through
redirecting users via their GPS systems. It can also alert emergency services if patterns
indicated a potential accident or severe congestion. These systems can also model traffic
patterns which can inform planners and allow more effective planning of future
infrastructure.
7.7.4 Resource Management Systems
“Many Smart City projects within the EU-28 – and therefore a substantial proportion of our
sample – address ICT-enabled resource management systems such as Smart grids, Smart
meters, Smart energy and solar, wind and water management systems.” (European
Parliament, 2014)
These systems are vital to ensure efficient production and storage of energy for the grid.
They monitor usage and consumption by the grid and through statistical modelling allow
accurate estimates of energy needs. This, combined with real time information, allows the
system to turn generating capacity on or off in accordance with the real time needs of the
grid. This avoids any unnecessary generation of energy, which might be otherwise wasted.
43

44. 7.7.5 Participation Platforms
“These projects involve the participation of citizens through ICT-enabled platform. Examples
in our sample include: open data strategies and platforms, crowdsourcing and co-creation
platforms, and other forms of citizen participation and ideation. The open data projects
include citizen or user competitions to develop apps and other digital services (often re-
using public data) to improve the quality and level of participation of public services.”
(European Parliament, 2014)
These platforms encourage participation from citizens to develop applications and resources
to improve communities, they use public data and allow developers to create useful
applications for their cities and neighbourhoods.
A great example of one of these platforms is fixyourstreet.ie. This Irish website allows
citizens to report issues in their local area including: graffiti, road or path defects, street
lighting, drainage issues, litter and illegal dumping and grass and tree maintenance. (Fix Your
Street, 2016) Once reported, the local authority is notified and a target time of two days is
set to remedy the issue. Similar sites like this one are in operation across the European
Union.
44

45. 45

46. 8 Case Studies of Smart City Projects.
Using case studies is an excellent way to learn about successes, failures and lessons for the
future. We have chosen four smart city projects funded by the European Union in order to
analyse common problems and how to run better smart city projects in the future.
These projects represent a number of areas particularly important in smart cities. These are
mobility, energy and ICT. (Information and Communications Technology)
The four projects and the areas they represent are:
• SMILE, a mobility project.
• BEEM-UP, an energy and ICT project.
• Buildsmart, an energy project.
• SUCCESS, a mobility project.
46

47. 8.1 SMILE Project
8.1.1 Background
With the motto of “Bring a Smile to Your City”, the SMILE project was developed with the
aim of discovering smart solutions for a smart and sustainable urban freight distribution
(UFD) (Bring a SMILE to your City, 2014). The SMILE project falls into the smart mobility
characteristic of a smart city.
The SMILE project was implemented in six different Mediterranean cities; namely,
Barcelona (Spain), Bologna (Italy), Montpellier (France), Piraeus (Greece), Rijeka (Croatia)
and Valencia (Spain). The project consisted of nine different pilot projects in the
aforementioned cities. Cities with different characteristics and various geographies within
the Mediterranean were selected in order to analyse the implementation and testing of
smart solutions in different sizes of cities and systems. The SMILE Project has been co-
financed by the EU under the MED Programme of the European Regional Development
Fund (The SMILE Project, 2015).
8.1.2 Goals
The main objective of the SMILE project is to utilise the current technologies and initiatives
and benefit from the past experience to build upon and develop energy efficient and
innovative strategies, plans and measures regarding city logistics in the cities in the
Mediterranean. (The SMILE Project, 2015)
The SMILE project also focuses on promoting energy efficiency in transportation within the
cities through planning, analysing and disseminating innovative solutions for public policies,
strategies and initiatives (The SMILE Project, 2015).
Additionally, the SMILE project aims to contribute to the adaptation and further
development of the existing transportation models by developing new models, and
evaluating and examining the pre-eminent urban transportation requirements and
performances. The project also incorporates the identification of strategies, plans and
initiatives for promoting energy efficiency in urban freight that can be used and adapted to
different cities. Another key goal of the SMILE project is to implement selected smart
transport initiatives within the designated pilot areas. (The SMILE Project, 2015)
47

48. 8.1.3 Stakeholders
The SMILE Project was developed and implemented by various government
institutions and research centres in the Mediterranean countries. The project partners
namely are City of Montpellier, City of Barcelona – Mobility Department, City of
Rijeka, Municipality of Piraeus, Centre for Innovation in Transport (CENIT), Valencia
port Foundation, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas /Hellenic Institute of
Transport (CERTH/HIT), InnDEA Valencia, Institute for Transport and Logistics
Foundation, Regional Energy Agency Kvarner and AFT (The SMILE Project, 2015).
Other key stakeholders include the public authorities, logistics companies and the
citizens in the pilot cities. The EU, as the sponsor of the project, was a key stakeholder
also.
8.1.4 Status of the Project
The project was launched with the kick off meeting in 2013 in Piraeus where the
objectives and activities of the project were shared with the key stakeholders. The
execution phase of the project lasted approximately two years. The SMILE project was
finalised with a final conference in April 2015 in Valencia and the main results and
deliverables were disseminated to the general public. (The SMILE Project, 2015)
48

49. 8.1.5 Activities
The SMILE project consisted of the implementation of four pilot cases in six
aforementioned cities. By testing a pilot case in various cities, the effectiveness of the
developed smart transportation solutions is assured.
The pilot cases and the cities for each case are illustrated below:
8.1.5.1 Electric Mobility and Urban Consolidation Centres
Cities: Montpellier, Barcelona & Valencia
This solution was comprised of an UCC (Urban Consolidation Centre) for establishing a
common terminal for all cargo of a district and integration of e-mobility such as electric
tricycles for the last mile delivery of goods from the UCC to customers (Estrada and Roca-
Riu, 2015).
The same solution was tested in two cities, which have different sizes: In Valencia and
Barcelona. Within this framework, common transhipment centres were established which
enabled the operators to transport their deliveries in electric tricycles. In Montpellier, the
pilot case was tested in the mail distribution system by utilising electric bikes for postal
delivery. (Estrada and Roca-Riu, 2015)
8.1.5.2 ICT Tools for Efficient Urban Logistics
Cities: Piraeus & Rijeka
The second pilot solution has foreseen the incorporation of ICT tools in determining the
optimum solution for each district based on numerous criteria. (Estrada and Roca-Riu,
2015)
In Piraeus and Rijeka, specific areas were identified as parking areas by placing automatic
retractable bollards that were being used by delivery trucks with the aim of decreasing
delays, traffic congestion and pollution caused by delivery vehicles. (Estrada and Roca-Riu,
2015)
49

50. 8.1.5.3 Operative Tools for Efficient Urban Logistics (Waste Sector)
Cities: Bologna & Piraeus
This pilot solution addressed the establishment of a more efficient waste collection and
transfer processes in the operational planning of municipal solid waste management.
(Estrada and Roca-Riu, 2015)
In Piraeus, the main focus was the waste collection process. The route and timing of waste
collection trucks were adjusted and in order to diminish the operational and environmental
costs such as fuel costs and CO2 emissions by decreasing the driving distance. (Estrada and
Roca-Riu, 2015)
The focus of the pilot project was the planning process of the municipal waste management
system. By integrating a software application and developing an innovative approach to
process management, including planning and data collection, the operational cost and the
impact of waste collection on the environment were diminished (Estrada and Roca-Riu,
2015).
8.1.5.4 Marketing Tools for Efficient Urban Logistics (Green Labelling)
Cities: Valencia & Montpellier
The final pilot solution focused on introducing and testing a more efficient approach for
urban logistics through designing a green labelling system. (Estrada and Roca-Riu, 2015)
In Valencia, a Green Labelling Scheme was developed in accordance with the legislation in
Spain. The Green Labelling Scheme foresees certifying good practices through the
calculation of carbon footprint of small and medium size enterprises and determining and
implementing initiatives to decrease this amount. The pilot project specifically concentrated
on the adoption of low carbon footprint by the enterprises in the logistics industry (Estrada
and Roca-Riu, 2015).
The main focus in Montpellier was developing more efficient marketing tools for urban
logistics. Similar to Valencia, a Green Labelling Scheme was in operation in France and the
pilot project aimed to analyse the already existing companies in the logistics sector in
Montpellier and encourage them to voluntarily participate to the Green Labelling Scheme.
However, the pilot implementation in Montpellier was not able to reach its objectives due
to a change in the administrative actors. (Estrada and Roca-Riu, 2015)
50

51. 8.1.6 Problems
Since the smart city projects involve a high number of stakeholders, a key challenge of all the
pilot activities in the SMILE project points out the same issue, the stakeholder management.
One of the main challenges was to convince and cooperate with the carriers, satisfy their
requirements and coordinate the schedule of multiple carriers particularly in the pilot case 2.
The engagement of logistic companies to pilot case 4 was also the primary challenge for the
project. The noticeable benefits of green labelling for the enterprises were limited and some of
the companies were reluctant to share the carbon footprint of their products with the general
public due to the possibility of a negative public reaction. (Estrada and Roca-Riu, 2015)
Another challenge is to inform the stakeholders and commercial units regarding the potential
benefits of the smart solutions and ensure their cooperation. The main obstacle seems to be
the higher initial investment costs of smart solutions. Lack of awareness of the benefits of the
solution within the companies and general public has been a problem for the project. (Estrada
and Roca-Riu, 2015)
Additionally, another problem faced was the inaccurate date regarding the number of bins in
Piraeus city. The database of the municipality was out of date and had to be updated, which led
to a delay in the project activities. Since smart city projects are relatively large in scale and
involves high technology, the accessibility and accuracy of data is crucial for the successful
planning and implementation. (Estrada and Roca-Riu, 2015)
The most noticeable problem in the SMILE project can be considered as the failure in the
implementation of pilot case 4 in Montpellier. Strong cooperation from the mayor was secured
at the beginning of the project, however, during the execution stage, the Montpellier
conurbation transformed to Montpellier Metropolis, which resulted in changes in administrative
actors, leading to a loss of support and cooperation. (Estrada and Roca-Riu, 2015)
8.1.7 Lessons Learned
The key success factors identified in the SMILE project are the successful engagement of key
stakeholders and the public sector throughout the project. An effective tool for ensuring
stakeholder involvement is to illustrate the previous successful implementation of solutions,
transfer the lessons learned from previous practices. Promoting dissemination and awareness
rising through a complementary public awareness campaign has contributed to the project’s
success. The planning process is highly significant. The strategic planning of all components and
accessible and comprehensive research at the planning phase plays a key role. (Estrada and
Roca-Riu, 2015) 51

52. 8.2 BEEM-UP Project
8.2.1 Background
Fostering low carbon technologies and green efficient energy are fundamental components of
smart cities. Within Europe 40% of the energy consumed as well as one third of the greenhouse
gas emissions are from buildings. Therefore decreasing energy consumption in buildings will have
a better impact on energy efficiency. (BEEM-UP, 2014a)
Within this context, the BEEM-UP project (Building Energy Efficiency for Massive Market Uptake)
was initiated with the aim of analysing the feasibility of retrofitting solutions for diminishing the
demand for energy in the residential buildings radically. The project focuses on improving energy
efficiency and decreasing the energy consumption in the residential buildings. The project was
implemented in Sweden, the Netherlands, and France. The BEEM-UP project is co-funded by the
EU under the 7th Framework Programme. The project had a total budget of 7,7 million Euros.
(BEEM-UP, 2014a)
8.2.2 Goals
The main objectives of the BEEM-UP project were to provide low cost and high performance
solutions for the restoration of the current residential buildings, decreasing the energy used for
heating in the residential building while maintaining a high quality of life, and to examine possible
transferral of best practices to the remaining residential building stock in the Europe. (BEEM-UP,
2014a)
8.2.3 Stakeholders
The project was coordinated by the Acciona Infraestructuras in Spain. As the engagement of key
stakeholders are key for an effective project, the BEEM-UP project was designed and executed
with the involvement project partners under four categories; building owners, industrial
suppliers, research & consultancy and construction companies. The building owners were
Woonbron in Netherlands, AB Alingsashem in Sweden, and ICF Habitat Novedis in France. The
industrial suppliers were Siemens, Eneco, MP, ISA and BASF, whereas the research & consultancy
organisations were ETH, Bax & Willems, Chalmers, Luwege Consult, Nobatek, SP Sveriges
Tekniska Forskningsinstitut AB, Instituto Technologico De Aragon, Technische Universiteit Delft,
Solintel M&P SL, and Maastricht University. Lastly the construction companies in addition to
Acciona were Skanska and Duravermeer. (BEEM-UP, 2014a)
In addition to the project partners, other key stakeholders of the project were the public
organisations and the citizens in the pilot cities. The EU, as the sponsor of the project, was also
another stakeholder for the BEEM-UP project.
52

53. 8.2.4 Activities
With the aim of reaching the project objectives, a total of 339 buildings were renovated and
transformed to reach high standards of energy efficiency in the selected cities in France, the
Netherlands and Sweden. (BEEM-UP, 2014a)
The refurbishment of the buildings contained innovative solutions for the roof, wall and
floor. After the execution of the work, concrete measures were taken to assure the
involvement of tenants and for monitoring to ensure the sustainability of the results. (BEEM-
UP, 2014a)
The pilot city in Sweden was Alingsas, where 144 houses, which were built in the 1950s,
were renovated. (BEEM-UP, 2014a)
In the Netherlands component of the BEEM-UP project was implemented in Delft, where a
total of 108 houses built in 1970s were renovated. (BEEM-UP, 2014a)
In France, Paris was the selected city for the project. 87 buildings, which were built in the
1950s, were renovated within the context of the BEEM-UP project. (BEEM-UP, 2014a)
8.2.5 Status of the Project
The BEEM-UP project was launched in January 2011 and the total duration of the project
was 4 years. The project activities have been finalised by the end of December 2014. (BEEM-
UP, 2014a)
8.2.6 Challenges
The main challenge for the project was the high level of investment required to renovate the
buildings and transfer them to more energy efficient ones. Nevertheless, the renovated
buildings result in higher economic profits due to low maintenance and energy costs and
higher rent. (BEEM-UP, 2014b)
53

54. 8.2.7 Has It Met Its Objectives?
The BEEM-UP project resulted in energy savings in heating, domestic hot water, and
electricity in the refurbished buildings. Although the percentage of the savings differs in the
three cities, the results show a saving in each city. In Alingsas, the energy consumption of a
renovated house is 27% lower than a standard newly built house in Sweden. In Delft, the
consumption of gas is 15% less than in an average house in the Netherlands and it is 30%
less than the average electricity consumption. In Paris, the energy for electricity and heating
consumption was reduced, however, there was not any savings in terms of domestic hot
water. (BEEM-UP, 2014b)
Disseminating the best practices and transferring the solutions to other buildings was a
complementary task of the BEEM-UP project. At the end of the project, the BEEM-UP
project approach was replicated in 709 houses in Noltorp area in Alingsas. Further, a
strategy for the exploitation of the BEEM-UP project results were prepared which also
includes the replication of practices in Eastern Europe. (BEEM-UP, 2014b)
8.2.8 Lessons Learned
Effective communication with the inhabitants in the selected buildings plays a key role in
achieving project success as ensuring energy efficiency in buildings is not only accomplished
by renovating the buildings but also through raising awareness, energy efficiency and
changing the behaviours of people. (Cuevas et al., 2014)
Additionally, the selection of project partners is significant for an effective implementation.
The BEEM-UP project involved project partners from four main categories who were key for
a renovation project. Communication within the project partners as well as with end users –
the tenants – should be regular and effective. (Cuevas et al., 2014)
The development of a monitoring plan, which includes concrete measures to evaluate the
project results leads to a more accurate assessment of a project’s success. The monitoring
system allows end users to give their feedback and facilitates data collection. (BEEM-UP,
2014b).
54

55. 8.3 Buildsmart Energy
8.3.1 Background
With the stipulation in the new EPBD, the EU directive on energy performance of
buildings is that from 2021, all new constructions must be nearly zero net energy
buildings. This is in addition to the the previously discussed EU 2020 goals of a 20%
reduction in both greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage. The creation of more
energy efficient building techniques and practices is vital to meeting those goals.
Especially considering that energy use in buildings accounts for 36% of the EU’s total
carbon dioxide emissions. (Buildsmart, 2016b)
To address this issue, the Buildsmart project has been developed by key organisations
from Sweden, Spain and Ireland. With a total budget of 8,6 million Euros, the project
draws funding from the EU under the 7th Framework Programme as well as co-funding
from all of the project partners. (Buildsmart, 2016b)
8.3.2 Goals
“The objective of Buildsmart is to demonstrate and mainstream cost effective techniques
and methods for constructing very low energy buildings in various European climates:
north, central and south. A large scale deployment of the used methods should be
possible to practice 2020 in order to facilitate the implementation of the recast of the
EPBD II.” (Buildsmart, 2016b)
The most significant aim of the Buildsmart project is to incorporate different initiatives for
energy efficiency including effective communication solutions with the household in the
buildings to facilitate changing in the tenants’ behaviours towards lower energy usage.
(Incarnate, 2015)
55

56. 8.3.3 Main Stakeholders
Apart from the EU, there are nine major project partners involved in the design and
execution of the Buildsmart project. These project partners are composed of local and
regional authorities, several research institutes and multiple developers, as well as an
energy agency. (Buildsmart, 2016b)
In Sweden the project partners are the City of Malmö, WSP: a consulting agency, Skanska
and Rost Fastigheter AB: developers and IVL: a research institute. (Buildsmart, 2016b)
In Ireland the project partners are the energy agency Codema who’s “vision is for Dublin to
be powered by clean energy, with zero polluting emissions.” (Codema, 2016)
The project partners in Spain are Tecnalia: a research institute, the Region of Basque, and
FCC S.A. a developer. (Buildsmart, 2016b)
In addition to project partners, the national and local authorities and citizens living in the
pilot areas can be considered key stakeholder groups.
8.3.4 Status of the Project
The project was launched in December 2011 (The Smart Cities Information System, 2011)
and will be finalised with a final conference in December 2016. (Buildsmart, 2016a)
56

57. 8.3.5 Activities
In the Buildsmart project, several residential and non-residential energy efficient and low
energy consumption buildings were built in Sweden and Spain. In Sweden, a hotel and
residential building, a residential building and an office building were built in Malmö. The
case study in Spain, on the other hand, was a residential building in Bilbao. (Buildsmart,
2016b)
Aiming to test the energy efficient initiatives in different type of buildings, a wide variety of
buildings was selected for pilot implementation due to the fact that the technical
requirement for residential and non-residential buildings differ from each other. (Karlsson
and Roth, 2015)
All of these low energy buildings in Sweden and Spain have the following features:
• “Energy efficient building envelopes with high airtightness and low energy losses.
• Energy-efficient installations resulting in minimised energy use.
• Techniques for minimising cooling needs such as efficient windows and shading
equipment.
• Close connections to surrounding infrastructure, such as energy systems that
optimise energy use and reduce peak loads for both heating and cooling.
• Waste management system created for maximum recycling and energy recovery,
including treatment of the biological waste fraction.” (The Smart Cities Information System,
2011)
Following the completion of the construction of the low energy buildings, a monitoring and
performance evaluation was conducted. The energy usage of the tenants has been
monitored based on quantitative and qualitative data. The qualitative data was gathered
through interviews with the households and building owners etc., which also allowed the
project team to receive feedback from the end users of the project. (Buildsmart, 2016b)
The Ireland part of the project, implemented by Codema, consisted of development of the
end user training programme and executing a live energy screen in the public buildings. A
public campaign on energy efficiency targeting the public offices has been developed. The
“Think Energy” campaign is targeted at raising awareness of the public workers in the local
authorities regarding energy efficient solutions. (Codema, 2016) 57

58. 8.3.6 Problems
The main problem faced in the Buildsmart project is the dropout of some of the original
project partners from the project. A few modifications made in the original project resulted in
some of the organisations to end their involvement in the project. (Karlsson and Roth, 2015)
Maintaining effective and sufficient communication constituted another challenge for the
project team. The challenge mainly resulted from the distance from the project team members
and coordinating the project work in three different countries. The project communication has
been carried out through regular meetings between project partners and stakeholders to
prevent any negative outcomes stemming from poor communication. (Karlsson and Roth,
2015)
8.3.7 Has It Met Its Objectives?
The Buildsmart project focuses on long-term solutions that will contribute to energy efficiency.
(Karlsson and Roth, 2015) The long-term solution is ensured through the raising of awareness
and informative actions on energy efficiency amongst households and industry professionals.
As stated: “in the end, it is how people choose to use buildings that has the most significant
effect on energy savings.” (Zinkernagel, 2015) These incentives assisted the tenants to
decrease their energy costs as well as improved their living conditions. (The Smart Cities
Information System, 2016)
The Buildsmart project has produced sustainable project outputs. Apart from the construction
of energy efficient buildings in Spain and Sweden, training materials for industry professionals
and households are also accessible from the project website. Furthermore, if any party is
interested, technical visits can still be arranged to the low energy buildings to observe the
application of energy efficient solutions and best practices. (Buildsmart, 2016b)
8.3.8 Lessons Learned
The best practices of the Buildsmart project put great emphasis on end user behaviour.
Specific measures were taken in order to raise awareness of the tenants and industry
professionals regarding energy efficiency and low energy consumption. These measures
include training programmes, preparation of guides and online resources on energy efficiency.
The professionals, who are involved in applying innovative technologies such as architects,
designers, builders, electricians, facility managers and planners were participated in training
particularly designed for professionals. A separate training plan on how to adopt energy
efficient behaviours was implemented for the tenants living in the buildings. (Buildsmart,
2016b) 58

59. 8.4 SUCCESS Mobility
The SUCCESS Project:
“Exploring sustainable and efficient solutions for urban road freight transport linked to
construction sites.” (Success, 2015)
8.4.1 Background
The SUCCESS project is funded by the EU horizon 2020 program and is also part of the
CIVITAS initiative. As the pace of population growth and urbanization continue to grow, this
creates the need for the construction of more housing and other infrastructure associated
with it. Given the current economic climate and also the need for greater efficiency and
sustainability in construction, it is more important than ever to understand the complex
processes and best practices required for effectively supplying construction sites.
The SUCCESS project plans to use four construction sites in order better understand urban
logistics. These pilot sites have budgets from €20.8million (Luxembourg) to €230 million
(Paris). Combined, the total budget for the four pilots is €392.6 million. (SUCCESS, 2015)
With 11 partners from Spain, France, Italy and Luxembourg, the different solutions will be
tested on four pilot sites in the partner countries, Valencia, Paris, Verona and Luxembourg
City, with an accurate and precise methodology:
SUCCESS Methodology:
1. “Analysing the current situation by collecting information and data on the four pilot sites to
detect problems, inefficiencies and potential improvements to the Construction Supply Chain.
2. Offering solutions and optimisation tools for the Construction Supply Chain (e.g. RFID and
GIS technologies, e-collaboration tools, process mapping, business models, etc.).
3. Establishing numerical scenarios and simulations with and without CCCs for several cases
using the data from the pilot sites (e.g. single / multiple suppliers, single / multiple site, etc.)
and assessing potential solutions to be applied.
4. Implementing and testing different scenarios directly on pilot sites.
5. Developing a “Business model” based on construction sites’ results in order to ensure
replicability of the solutions developed, especially in other European cities.” (Success, 2016)59

60. 8.4.2 Goals
The main goals of the project are to create business plans based around sustainable urban logistics with
regard to the supply of construction sites.
The goals of the project are:
• “Reduction in the cost and transit time of construction materials.
• Decrease in the number of journeys and/or the number of kilometres per vehicle in order to reduce
the GHG emissions.
•Increase in the number of “fully charged” vehicles, as well as the reliability and the flexibility regarding
delivery of supplies to construction sites.” (SUCCESS,2016)
“It is also expected that the project will have a number of institutional impacts:
•Public authorities: implementation of new policies, regulations and infrastructure design
improvements.
•Transport companies: assessment of transportation cost reduction related to the CCCs
implementation.
•Construction Companies: more accurate ROI estimates, thus facilitating the investment decision-
making process.
•Research organisations: more precise scientific data on the overall performance of CCCs.” (Success,
2016)
8.4.3 Main Stakeholders
The SUCCESS project includes 11 partners as well as the EU. They come from a variety of backgrounds
and knowledge areas. The partners are from Luxembourg, France, Spain and Italy. These are comprised
of logistics and construction firms, regional authorities and also universities and research centres.
In Luxembourg, the partners are: The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology and Tralux
Construction.
In France the partners are: AFT: a transport and logistics company and Vinci Construction.
In Spain the partners are: FEVEC: a construction federation, Valencia Port Federation and INNdea a
foundation supported by the Valencia town council.
The Italian partners are: CMB: a construction cooperative, En&Tech: a research centre, Istituto sui
Trasporti e la Logistica (ITL): a transport and logistics agency and the region of Emilia-Romagna. 60

61. 8.4.4 Activities
There are multiple activities involved in the SUCCESS project. They are based in four
European cities based in Luxembourg, France, Spain and Italy.
8.4.4.1 Luxembourg
The project in Luxembourg is to renovate a former brewery site. The site is to be converted
into a mixed-use development which will hold residential, commercial and office space.
(SUCCESS, 2015)
8.4.4.2 France
The project in France is to combine and modernise and combine two buildings in Paris to be
used to house government departments. (SUCCESS, 2016)
8.4.4.3 Valencia
The project in Valencia centres around the transformation of a former railway yard in the
city centre into a public park. (SUCCESS, 2015)
8.4.4.4 Verona
The project in Verona is based around the construction of two hospitals in the centre of the
city. (SUCCESS, 2015)
8.4.5 Status of The Project
As of June 2016, the project has been running for one year. (SUCCESS, 2016) It is coming to
the end of its data collection period and construction is progressing well at each of the four
sites.
8.4.6 Challenges and Problems
As of June 2016, the project has been on schedule and has not encountered any serious
issues or setbacks. However, there are several minor issues at each of the four pilot sites.
61

62. 8.4.6.1 Luxembourg
• The project site is in an already congested area.
• Access to the site is difficult as there are only two entrances to the site, and the site is
not large enough to allow vehicles to turn about, nor space for simultaneous deliveries.
• The project must also comply with local regulations concerning transportation.
(SUCCESS, 2016)
8.4.6.2 France
• This site is also in a congested area.
• There are sensitive buildings in the surrounding area.
• Caution must be taken in order to reduce unnecessary noise, dust and other pollution.
• The site is small.
• The project must also comply with local regulations concerning transportation.
(SUCCESS, 2016)
8.4.6.3 Valencia
• There are only two entrances to the site.
• Caution must be taken to avoid interfering with railway traffic due to the site’s close
proximity to the railway tracks.
• The project must also comply with local regulations concerning transportation.
(SUCCESS, 2016)
8.4.6.4 Verona
• The sites are located in congested and densely populated areas.
• Care must be taken to avoid disturbing hospitals in the area.
• Space is limited at the sites.
• Access to the sites are very restricted. A detailed schedule is required for access.
• The project must also comply with local regulations concerning transportation.
(SUCCESS, 2016)
62

63. 8.4.7 Will The Project Meet Its Objectives?
At present there is no reason to believe that the project will fail to deliver upon its objectives,
although, as it is only approximately one third of the way completed, there is still the
possibility of significant complications arising in the future.
8.4.8 Lessons Learned
Whilst it is still ongoing, the SUCCESS project will ultimately allow the creation of new public
policies and regulations. These will help to develop best practices in the near future.
The invaluable knowledge gained from this project will allow for the creation of a new
standard set of best practices for the industry. This will allow future projects to be run more
efficiently and meet their strategic goals.
The data gathered from the SUCCESS project will also allow the creation of a model for
infrastructure design, enabling planners to plan around construction sites and Construction
Consolidation Centres (CCCs) when planning future infrastructure projects.
The SUCCESS project will enable cost reductions through more efficient operations taking the
data and analysing what worked well, and what did not, allowing for improvements in
efficiency, thus reducing cost.
Through better understanding, it will allow construction companies to make more accurate
return on investment estimates, this will speed up the initial decision making process and
make it easier to invest with greater certainty over the return, which in turn reduces the risk
involved.
It will also enable research institutions to better understand the urban logistical supply chain
and also gather proper scientific data surrounding the performance of Construction
Consolidation Centres (CCCs) This will help to determine the effectiveness of these centres.
63

64. How Do We Improve Future
Smart City Projects?
64

65. 9 How Do We Improve Future Smart City Projects?
Smart city projects are at the cutting edge of technology and are becoming increasingly
relevant in our ever more interconnected societies. Yet despite being at the cutting edge,
often the standard of project management can be lacking in these large projects. In this
section we will outline some of the main deficiencies in smart city project management,
as well as consider what steps may be taken to remedy these deficits.
Surprisingly, we found that it was often simple oversights that were causing major
problems. The main two areas that smart city projects are deficient in is poor planning
and poor stakeholder management.
In total, when considering how to improve future smart city projects, we analysed five
key problem areas. Those areas are: Project Planning, Risk Management, Scope
Management, Project Procurement, Stakeholder Management, Project Monitoring and
Controlling and Project Communication.
65

66. 9.1 Planning
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Benjamin Franklin.
Having a comprehensive project plan is a vitally important aspect of any successful
project, smart city projects are no exception. In fact, due to the relative uncertainty in
smart city projects, mostly due to the inherent risks involved in developing and applying
new technologies, smart city projects are more prone to risks than the large
infrastructure projects which preceded them.
As we will discuss in the next section, one of the main things that can cripple smart city
projects is the lack of effective stakeholder management. This makes preparing and
planning a comprehensive stakeholder management plan absolutely essential in the
planning phase.
As Werner Maritz, Director of Public Sector and Infrastructure Strategy at Oracle notes:
“The success of a smart city project relies on the commitment of all stakeholders and
economic support - whether it’s public or private – to see the project through to
completion. That’s why half the battle of getting such a project off the ground is to plan
thoroughly. When presenting a convincing, workable case for a smart initiative, you need
to win over the hearts, minds and wallets of supporters.” (Centurio Lopes, 2016)
Many projects also suffer from poor risk management. This begins at the planning phase.
Therefore, it is essential that the proper processes are performed during the planning
phase of a project. This will allow a comprehensive risk management plan to be created
which will mitigate any potential impacts.
66

67. 9.1 Planning Continued
There is also a need for a comprehensive independent project selection tool to avoid
projects being derailed following political shifts. “there needs to be rigorous, long-term and
integrated infrastructure project selection and investment planning.” (Oracle, 2016) If a
body, independent from rapid shifts in the political climate is selected, this will enable
projects to be selected on their merits, rather than to fulfil political ambitions. It will also
prevent them from becoming derailed in the case of a political shift, as resources will have
been independently allocated.
This body should be made up from key stakeholders, including people from different
political parties and other groups to ensure the correct selection of projects. “Gaining
cross-party and cross-government consensus on these frameworks supports strategic
project selection and prioritisation, while allowing for the possibility of changes in
government policy and funding. It also ensures that the full lifecycle is considered from the
outset, and means individual projects can be better co-ordinated into an overall plan.”
(Oracle, 2016)
The costs on many projects can spiral out of control very quickly. This can happen for a
multitude of reasons. Often it is from a series of minor changes which quickly add up to
significant sums of money. This often stems from poor change control procedures within
the project organization. “Financial management on projects and programmes of this scale
and duration has to be rigorous. Over a number of years and sites, unauthorised
expenditure, even of small amounts, can quickly add up.” (Oracle, 2016)
In order to prevent this, a proper change control procedure should be defined in the
planning phase and form part of the project charter. It should be a formal process with
clear procedures for who can authorise changes and also the degree of additional spend
they can approve. “Rules must be in place clearly stating who has authority for what level
of expenditure – at an individual and organisational level.” (Oracle, 2016)
67

68. 9.1 Planning Continued
Implementing these procedures in the planning phase is a simple way that project costs can
be controlled in order to avoid any avoidable overspending. “Proper governance and control
processes are essential for spotting problems early and getting projects back on track
quickly. The more time and effort companies put in at the outset, the greater the chance
they will keep projects in check throughout the construction cycle.” (PWC, 2013)
When planning a project, it is also important to consider similar projects and other projects
within the same program. By doing this, you will be better able to allocate organisational
resources. It may also occur that many projects require similar but independent activities to
be carried out. An example of this might be that your project requires you to dig up a road
in order to lay new fibre optic cable. If you only consider the project at hand, this may not
be the most efficient and cost effective means of accomplishing your goal.
In such a case, it is possible that other similar projects require access to beneath the road.
This could be to replace water pipes, electricity cables or other items. The road may also
need resurfacing or painting. If other stakeholders are considered it may be possible to
coordinate the excavation of the road so that all the activities can be done at once. This will
not only save costs through sharing them with other organisations or projects, but in this
case, could reduce the potential that a later excavation damages the cables that you
installed, potentially leading to added costs and a delayed project. Once again this requires
excellent stakeholder management and project communication which we will discuss in the
following sections.
68

69. 9.2 Stakeholder Management
A significant and common challenge for the smart city projects is stakeholder management.
Due their complexity and large scale, smart city projects involve high number of
stakeholders. Regardless of different smart city issues they address; wide ranges of
stakeholder groups have an interest in any smart city project. Therefore, assuring and
maintaining the engagement of all stakeholders to the project is a vital component for the
success of smart city projects. Failure to successfully involve the appropriate stakeholders
may result to project failure as has been the case for Vejle project in Denmark. (Antholopous,
Ipsilantis, and Kazantzi, 2014)
As James Huntley, the Vice President at Energy Schneider Electric notes: “The challenge in
the Smart City project is for all the stakeholders involved to evolve towards the same goal.
This means we change and adapt many of the ways we work today. This could mean
government organizations and departments working together on larger projects, it could
mean us adapting the regulation we have in place to ensure there’s much more collaboration
between businesses and governments. It could mean adapting the KPI’s we use to monitor
the performance in a city. Not only in terms of how it’s performing but also in terms of the
quality of life for the residents in that city.” (Colclough, 2015)
The majority of smart city projects are executed by the relevant public institutions, however,
effective collaboration of other related local and national public organisations needs to be
ensured, since public authorities play a crucial role, and relocation or changes within the
administrative staff affects the level of commitment of a public body to the project.
69

70. 9.2 Stakeholder Management Continued
The private sector is another key stakeholder for smart city projects. The companies
are both the supplier of the goods and works within the projects and the end users
in some cases. In cases where the private sector is the end user of smart city
solutions, convincing the companies to participate in these smart city initiatives
seem to be another challenge for the project team. As parts of the smart city
solutions require high amount of investment at the beginning, the companies tend
to be reluctant to integrate more energy efficient, environmentally friendly or higher
technology to their products and processes. Companies may have difficulties in
realising the advantages of smart solutions from a long-term perspective.
Another cause of the unwillingness of companies to cooperate may stem from their
reluctance to change their current businesses practices. This can be seen in the
SMILE project pilot case 2. Persuading the carriers to participate in the new parking
scheme and meeting the requirements of all carriers has been one of the most
difficult tasks in the project. However, “collaboration between the commercial units
and the carriers was the answer to their participation and the key to the pilot’s
successful implementation.” (Estrada and Roca-Riu, 2015) These findings illustrate
how crucial the collaboration between stakeholders is for the project success.
To examine the requirements of the companies and assure their engagement from
the beginning, private sector actors should be consulted during the planning stage of
a smart city project, when possible. This may help preventing any flaws in the
project design and incorporate the perspective of end users.
70

71. 9.2 Stakeholder Management Continued
The general public and the citizens of the city constitute a major stakeholder group for the
smart city projects given the fact that the smart city projects aim to contribute to a higher
quality of life of the citizens in a city. The execution phase of these projects can also cause
significant disruption to their daily lives. Therefore, the sustainability and effectiveness of
smart city initiatives depend on the level of collaboration and commitment of the general
public. Failure in securing social participation has been one of the leading causes of project
failure. (Antholopous, Ipsilantis, and Kazantzi, 2014) If the citizens do not alter their
behaviours, the smart city projects may not reach their objectives. As Chourabi et. al. (2012)
puts forward: “if they (citizens) are key players they may have the opportunity to engage
with the initiative to the extent that they can influence the effort to be a success or a
failure.”
Raising the awareness of the smart solutions and their benefits amongst citizens requires
significant amount of time and effort. Specific tasks and activities aimed at raising awareness
and informing the general public should be integrated to a project during the design phase.
For instance, in the SMILE project, key stakeholders at the local level are determined in
order to identify the interest groups better and develop more effective communication
activities. However, the analysis could have been conducted in more detail by assessing each
group’s attitude towards the project and their degree of power over the project.
A useful step will be to identify all stakeholders and analyse their interest and power over
the project comprehensively. To guarantee a comprehensive analysis, the tools and
techniques suggested in the PMBOK (Project Management Institute, 2013a) such as the
Power/Interest, Power/Influence or Influence/Impact Grids can be used. Depending on the
varying stakeholder groups’ interest and stance towards the project, proactive measures can
then be integrated into the project plan.
71

72. 9.2 Stakeholder Management Continued
Considering the high number of stakeholders involved in any smart city project, a detailed
classification of stakeholders results in a more efficient stakeholder management plan. The
Stakeholder Salience Model is a comprehensive framework for analysing stakeholders. The
Salience framework proposes three criteria to identify the level and type of attention that
should be given to each stakeholder (Burba, 2015). These three criteria are “the legitimacy
(their involvement is appropriate), power (ability to impose their will) and urgency (need
for immediate attention)” (Project Management Institute, 2013a) of different stakeholder
groups. The model allows nine different categorisations of stakeholders and these nine
categories are classified under three classes: low salience, medium salience and high
salience. (Popescu, 2016) This classification may be helpful in determining which groups to
focus and which groups to rule out.
72(Popescu, 2016)

73. 9.3 Scope Management
Given the innovative nature of many smart city projects and the fact that many of the
technologies are still developing, combined with rapid urbanization and population growth, a
certain amount of scope creep is almost inevitable. This can often have severe impacts on the
duration and also on the cost of projects.
Scope creep can be reduced through the use of prototyping. The PMBOK defines prototyping
as: “Prototyping is a method of obtaining early feedback on requirements by providing a
working model of the expected product before actually building it.” (Project Management
Institute, 2013)
Indeed, many smart city projects are currently using this technique. Using smaller scale
projects with the intention of developing functional and scalable technology. This can be seen
in the smart neighbourhoods and micro-testbed infrastructures discussed previously. Once a
technology has been proven in these environments, it can then be rolled out on a city-wide
scale. This iterative process allows multiple iterations at a fraction of the cost that a city wide
project might. It is a very effective way of reducing scope creep.
Whilst an urgent requirement for new infrastructure may not leave enough time for
prototyping, another way to prevent scope creep is through the use of proper change
management processes. These should be consistent and require appropriate levels of
consultation and monitoring. By ensuring that there is a formal change management
program, unnecessary changes to the project scope can be avoided. This is through the
centralisation of the requests, as often, especially in larger projects, small changes can be
made which have unintended, but often significant impacts on multiple other work packages
within the project. This can rapidly lead to a chain reaction of changes and a snowballing of
costs and delays to the project.
The better your understanding of a project’s requirements in the planning stages, the less
likely you are to have to account for scope creep. Defining requirements can often be a
challenging issue in smart city projects. As many smart city projects are effectively regular
engineering projects combined with IT projects, they can sometimes require conflicting
methodologies. 73