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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.

To improve the quality of life, human-oriented smart city planning and management based on time-space behavior was studied. First, the basic theory of time-space behavior and smart city was introduced. The relationship between public participation and smart city construction planning was analyzed, and the positive and negative significance of public participation in smart city construction planning was expounded. Then, the mechanism for public participation in smart city construction planning was proposed. Finally, public participation in smart city construction planning was analyzed from the perspectives of power balance, interest coordination and safeguard measures. The results showed that public participation in smart city construction planning was an important manifestation of the realization of public democratic rights. The scientific nature and feasibility of smart city construction planning was enhanced. The smooth implementation of smart city construction planning was an important foundation for promoting smart city construction. Therefore, public participation is an important way to safeguard social public interests and build a harmonious society.

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.