FEATURES
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Given the unlikelihood with “Pop-up Towns” and “Cyber-cities”,
the Smart City paradigm for Bergamo should be developed
in order to endorse the social and cultural heritage and to
comply with the heterogeneous social fabric. Needless to
say, in order to properly rethink the Smart City - or rather, a
consistent and attractive “Smart Community”- a vision alignment
among shareholders is required. Thereby the research project
is stressing the accent on the inclusivity of effective urban
development initiatives, where the interaction among citizens,
municipalities and infrastructure is compulsory to tackle issues
and to envision the city as an experience network and not just
the sum of its physical places. The creation of such ambitious
network, where the ethics of sustainable growth meet the
specific need of the citizens, has to be supported by purposeful
technology-enabled and citizen-friendly services. As a matter
of fact, the development of digital communication platforms
has emphasised the role of multidirectional information flows
and networks and, by definition, a Smart City should empower
its players by simplifying urban accessibility and providing
real-time dynamics to its network. For instance, smart mobility
management and health services are two major concerns
for the Bergamo 2.035 research. Consistent with the abovementioned perspective, the ASAP SMF Conference held in
November 2014 focused on service provision on a (smart)
city level. Among the guests and moderators there were many
specialists both from academic, administrative and industrial
world, discussing how technology is changing business
models, consumption paradigms and ownership systems,
and outlining opportunities and threats. Technology often traps
the user in a passive role, turning him to a victim rather than a
ruler. Sometimes it can even weaken the experience given its
intrinsic standardised connotation. This is due to the difficulty
in metabolising disruptive innovation on a consumer level and
indeed the technology adoption rate always grows at a slower
pace than the technology itself. Arguably, the Challenge for
a smart city is to positively exploit technological innovation to
benefit citizens and to turn urban constraints into opportunities.
In order to provide a suitable “citizen experience” and to address
different needs properly, “smart services” need to available for