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The recent debate on smart cities research is challenged by the arrival of brand-new technologies and new ideas on their social impact. Beyond the hype and the expectations, the next generation smart cities research has to be grounded on the lessons learnt and the experience of the current extensive implementations of smart cities projects worldwide. Additionally, it is required to revisit the basic assumptions for the added value of smart cities research to the strategic blueprints around the world. This chapter is aiming to communicate a new agenda for future smart cities research including social, economic, technological, and community factors. The main contribution is organized around a framework that intends to integrate the technology sophistication, the human and social dynamics, and the strategy orientation of smart cities.

When there is a cordial relationship among the members of the smart city team, there are bounds to be achievements and executions of projects within stipulated time of the budget allocated. The partnership in ideas and overall discipline will propel the activities involved in executing smart cities in the world. In identifying not just the definitions of smart city, the developmental aspect of the concept is considered across phases of construction as the industry strives towards elegance and advancement. However, exciting as it comes in benefits and enhancement in the quality of life, several problems have also been identified albeit opportunities are somewhat presented in the challenges when analysed thoroughly from the inception to completion. The interaction within team members across countries will pave way for collaborators into the system.

This chapter examines the transition from traditional cities to smart cities, with a focus on integrating digital technologies, data, and services into the urban environment. The concept of a smart city aims to create urban spaces that are more efficient, sustainable, and livable by fostering collaboration among stakeholders such as government, businesses, and citizens. This chapter highlights that this transformation encompasses not only technological advancements but also significant social, cultural, and economic implications. It emphasizes the need to rethink urban governance, citizen engagement, and public service delivery. By leveraging data for decision-making, smart city technologies enable cities to optimize urban services and streamline internal operations. Strategically, smart city development aims to attract businesses, investors, and visitors through improved services, sustainability, and accessibility. This chapter also explores how smart cities can enhance their competitiveness by promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, and a dynamic environment for residents and tourists. Moreover, it discusses how digital technologies enable smart cities to offer personalized and interactive experiences to visitors. Overall, this chapter provides a comprehensive perspective on the potential benefits and opportunities arising from smart city transformations, encompassing efficiency, sustainability, economic growth, and enhanced visitor experiences. It serves as a valuable resource for interpreting and understanding various aspects of the book.

The first chapter of this book has already introduced smart city concepts and definitions; the second part will further explain deeper how smart city comes into being and the frameworks that surround it. Firstly, history of city and smart city gives a detailed analogical insight on the transformation from city into smart one. The rate at which the transformation process is implemented depended mostly on how the citizens of the city understand the implementation of digitalisation concepts through the use of appropriate technologies into running and developing a city. Secondly, there are also further definitions on the subject especially as they related to the construction industry. Characteristics of smart cities are also discussed along with features that can really make a city smart. In conclusion, the chapter is well introduced and provisions were also made at the end in terms of bibliographies that will help in further understanding of the smart city concepts beings introduced.

In defining smart city and its effects on the citizens, the ideas and generalisation of the team members that makes up the smart city team must be thoroughly considered. It is one thing to have the concepts and processes on ground on smart city, it is another to have qualified team members that can deliver such city within a targeted standard. Stakeholders, construction professionals, citizens, concerned individuals among all make up the smart city team members. These members can also be spread across disciplines in order to facilitate effectiveness in every activity designed. Activities such as dissecting characteristics, control and management of smart city are controlled by these team members as they seek for maximisation of output from the resources available.

In the latest years of the twentieth century, information and communication technologies (ICT) and urbanisation are two major issues that are in egression. The progress in technology during the 1980s and 1990s majorly improved well-being in the urban centres. This encouraged development of urban centres, leading to the migration from rural areas to cities. This is with the motive that cities offer tonnes of opportunities in areas, such as social life, job, education, etc. Cities are the major pillars of economic and human activity. Furthermore, the demand for natural resources, energy and general resources for infrastructural developments are controlled by the nature and type of city. Therefore, it is expedient that urban centres strive to promote the sustainability of the environment, social unity and the standard of living of its inhabitants through effective support of economic competition and management of their developments. Therefore, in an effort to safeguard the health of the people and the condition of the earth from been ruined, the concept of ‘Smart City’ came into existence. In addition with the introduction of new technological concepts (majorly ICTs, the ‘Smart City’ concept has egresses as the pathway to accomplish more sustainable and efficient cities. This implies that such cities should not only accommodate the people with minimum health hazard but should be socially inclusive and economically beneficial to concerned stakeholders.

The enhancement of cities can be affirmed when there is a transformation in the functions it is used to perform to ones that are just experienced in all newness and effectiveness. A city enhanced in all smartness and dimensions can always perform better when quality of life is targeted during and after a designed project. These dimensions come in the form of smart economy, smart transportation, smart environment, smart individual, smart living and good governance. Other aspects of the chapter include cities and smart cities, formation of smart cities, idea of smart city and barriers to smart city development. All these work together to function together in understanding and maintaining a regulated smart city supply chain in the construction industry.

This chapter discusses the involvement of procurement in smart city development. Procurement plays a vital role in the development of strategies in planning, and execution in the construction industry. This is further introduced into smart city to find the best possible methods of bringing the ideas behind smart city into realisation. The common procurement methods are explained along with their involvement in smart city. Common drawbacks to smart cities procurement and measures to challenges in the procurement of smart city are also explicitly explained in the chapter. Through an identified and accepted procurement method into smart city, the processes involved in executing smart city will be the ones with directions and proper planning.

This study aims to describe the concept of smart tourism, placing emphasis on the smart tourism ecosystem and value co-creation concept within the system at a destination level. The work also summarizes the key challenges associated with smart tourism implementation and development.

The study was conducted as a critical literature review, discussing the outcomes of a wide range and scope of relevant academic literature on the chosen concepts.

Smart tourism can be described as the use of information and communication technology (ICT) technologies to facilitate and enrich tourism products, services and experiences. Within the smart tourism ecosystem, all stakeholders – customers, suppliers, intermediates, the public sector, service providers, destination management organizations and others –participate in the synergies and value co-creation, also share the benefits from it. The ultimate aim of a smart tourism ecosystem is to create sustainable economic, social and environmental benefits for all and promote destination competitiveness. Smart tourism implementation is also associated with several challenges, of which the most important are participation, an overwhelming amount of data, data privacy and technology adoption.

The paper provides a critical review of the recent and relevant literature in order to define and discuss the mechanisms of value co-creation in a smart tourism ecosystem and the challenges associated with it.

This study aims to provide a summary of the key outcomes and reflections related to the theme issue question, “Smart tourism: what developments and issues are important to the Baltic states?”

This study utilizes a descriptive approach to summarize the key outcomes of the theme issue. The theme issue focuses on the problems, trends and developments of smart tourism in the Baltic states, namely, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

The papers in the theme issue explore the emerging concept of smart tourism and the challenges associated with its implementation at the destination level. They also provide updated data on the adoption of smart tourism and aim to engage academics and industry professionals to identify future developments.

This theme issue provides unique perspectives from a variety of stakeholders, including academics, practitioners, industry professionals and policymakers on the key issues, trends and developments shaping the emergence of smart tourism in the Baltic states.