Smart City and Well-Being: Opinions by the Guest Editors

As with technology, the concept of the Smart City has evolved over time in line with digitisation processes and the changing needs of cities and their inhabitants. Indeed, it was in the early 1980s when discussions first arose regarding the role that information technology would play in the development of conventional urban activities [1–3]. Some thirty years later, in 2009, the concept of the Smart City was first defined when, in Rio de Janeiro, a plan came into effect that employed technological innovation and waste management to improve the quality of life in the city by minimizing wastage [4]. This is a true evolution in which the vision of the traditional city is superseded by a more modern urban reality creating an ideal, highly automated ecosystem in which Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) take on the role of the core infrastructure of a Smart City [5–7]. The technological and techno-centric revolution, currently dictated by the market, may, however, result in a decrease in inclusivity and at the same time an increase in the digital divide. Moreover, a Smart City that is too heavily based on technological solutions runs the risk of becoming disconnected from policies with a real impact on urban contexts [8]. The term ‘Smart City’ encapsulates a conception of urban reality that transcends technological boundaries and aims to raise the standards of sustainability, liveability and economic dynamism of the cities of the future [9,10].