Chapter 13
The Role of Smart Cities for the Realization
of the Sustainable Development Goals
Odile Schwarz-Herion
Abstract Smart Cities are often promoted as green cities, facilitating the realization of
the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by fostering ecological mobility and
using Smart Grids, Big Data, the Internet of Things (IoT), algorithms, and Artificial
Intelligence (AI) embedded in a resilient infrastructure to optimize energy efficiency,
water safety, and food safety, thus offering citizens a clean, safe, friendly, and
pluralistic social environment. According to critics, however, Smart Cities involve
the danger of a global surveillance society. Furthermore, the density of smart megacities might make city dwellers easy targets for covert cyberwar or terrorism involving
weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The aggressive push for Smart Cities
also enhances the rural exodus, adds to soil sealing, and increases the scarcity of
essential resources due to an increasing demand for energy and materials to keep smart
cities running, coupled with an enormous ecological backpack due to a dramatic
increase of construction projects. Finally, it will depend on the actual implementation
of Smart Cities, the availability of alternative lifestyles for those who prefer life in the
countryside, and the responsibility of political leaders on the local, the regional, and the
global level whether Smart Cities will facilitate or hamper the realization of the SDGs.
Keywords Smart Cities · UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) · Internet of
Things (IoT) · Algorithms · Artificial Intelligence (AI) · Big Data · Covert cyberwar ·
Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) · Energy efficiency
13.1 Introduction
A smart sustainable city is an innovative city that uses information and communication
technologies (ICTs) and other means to improve quality of life, efficiency of urban operation
and services, and competitiveness, while ensuring that it meets the needs of present and
future generations with respect to economic, social, environmental as well as cultural
aspects. (UNECE and ITU-T Study Group 5 2015)
O. Schwarz-Herion (*)
Dres. Schwarz-Herion KG Detective Agency, Ettlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
e-mail: EOKK.Black@t-online.de
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
A. Omran, O. Schwarz-Herion (eds.), Sustaining our Environment for Better Future,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7158-5_13
209
The Role of Smart Cities for the Realization
of the Sustainable Development Goals
Odile Schwarz-Herion
Abstract Smart Cities are often promoted as green cities, facilitating the realization of
the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by fostering ecological mobility and
using Smart Grids, Big Data, the Internet of Things (IoT), algorithms, and Artificial
Intelligence (AI) embedded in a resilient infrastructure to optimize energy efficiency,
water safety, and food safety, thus offering citizens a clean, safe, friendly, and
pluralistic social environment. According to critics, however, Smart Cities involve
the danger of a global surveillance society. Furthermore, the density of smart megacities might make city dwellers easy targets for covert cyberwar or terrorism involving
weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The aggressive push for Smart Cities
also enhances the rural exodus, adds to soil sealing, and increases the scarcity of
essential resources due to an increasing demand for energy and materials to keep smart
cities running, coupled with an enormous ecological backpack due to a dramatic
increase of construction projects. Finally, it will depend on the actual implementation
of Smart Cities, the availability of alternative lifestyles for those who prefer life in the
countryside, and the responsibility of political leaders on the local, the regional, and the
global level whether Smart Cities will facilitate or hamper the realization of the SDGs.
Keywords Smart Cities · UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) · Internet of
Things (IoT) · Algorithms · Artificial Intelligence (AI) · Big Data · Covert cyberwar ·
Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) · Energy efficiency
13.1 Introduction
A smart sustainable city is an innovative city that uses information and communication
technologies (ICTs) and other means to improve quality of life, efficiency of urban operation
and services, and competitiveness, while ensuring that it meets the needs of present and
future generations with respect to economic, social, environmental as well as cultural
aspects. (UNECE and ITU-T Study Group 5 2015)
O. Schwarz-Herion (*)
Dres. Schwarz-Herion KG Detective Agency, Ettlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
e-mail: EOKK.Black@t-online.de
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
A. Omran, O. Schwarz-Herion (eds.), Sustaining our Environment for Better Future,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7158-5_13
209