Foundations of Smart Cities

This unit introduces the historical roots, defining characteristics, and contemporary challenges of cities while framing the concept of a smart city and the role of planning and governance. Students learn to translate urban needs into a high-level vision and initial plan, and gain introductory skills in city data use and security to prepare for deeper technical and policy work in later units.

Learning Objectives

• analyze the historical origins and evolution of cities to distinguish traditional urban development patterns from the principles that define smart cities
• identify and categorize key smart city characteristics, stakeholders, and governance roles to clarify who participates in planning and implementation
• evaluate evolving urban needs and challenges and develop a concise vision statement with prioritized planning goals for a hypothetical smart city
• demonstrate foundational city-data literacy by interpreting basic urban datasets and applying introductory cybersecurity and IT governance concepts to protect a smart city project