Societal implications of smart cities
Abstract
Smart cities are considered to be a relevant concept that bridges the relation between technology and society. It assumes the management reserves in human society that can be exploited by different technological tools, that would be able to learn behavior patterns and adjust different aspects of life accordingly. However, this technologically driven social concept did not take into consideration one of the most important elements of the improved management equation; human, human nature and human behaviour. As well it has little or no regard for the democratic restrictions that are packed in the context of civil and political rights. And it has no interest in the long term effect of the use of smart technology for the development of human skills. In this manner, the article is conceptualized as a critique and discussion of overlooked elements that are reducing the effectiveness of the (smart) technologies on one hand, and on the other hand, they are simultaneously reducing the creative potential of human daily life. Despite the idea of smart societies seems to be beneficial, in general, especially on a macro level, it is considered to be limiting the creative potential of individuals even to the level of their mental deterioration.
Keywords:
Smart technologies, smart cities, human limitations, knowledge societyReferences
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