A Framework for Effective Design Thinking Based Smart Cities Projects in Qatar

Abstract

With the growing implementation of smart city projects and the significance of the research problem related to effective design thinking, the opinion of the ordinary citizens have become very relevant and contemporary. The current paper presents a quantitative empirical study focused on the attitudes towards and the readiness to accept smart cities in the specific context of Qatar. The study employs a survey questionnaire as a data collection tool. The survey is distributed online among a sample of 40 respondents from Qatar, including both residents and non-residents of smart cities in the country. Even though the sample is not representative of the Qatari population, the present study provides preliminary findings and fundamental insights into this novel topic in a specific socio-economic context. The major findings of the study uncovered that the respondents show quite positive attitudes toward diverse aspects related to smart economy, smart people, smart governance, smart mobility, smart environment, and smart living, as well as significant readiness to accept this lifestyle. However, the respondents demonstrate concerns related to the privacy and security of the people living in smart cities. The superiority of fundamental aspects of life like housing and healthcare in smart cities compared to conventional ones are also questioned by the respondents.

Fostering Smart Citizens: The Role of Public Libraries in Smart City Development

“…Research has yet to agree on a definition, and different authors describe smart citizens by highlighting some specific features. Early studies approach this topic from a social and human capital lens by discussing the term "smart people" as a significant dimension of smart cities and characterizing smart people as comprising "various factors like affinity to lifelong learning, social and ethnic plurality, flexibility, creativity, cosmopolitanism or open-mindedness, and participation in public life" [28,112,113]. Further, smart people use technology and data to make informed choices related to resource and service consumption towards greater sustainability and interact with others about public affairs [65,[102][103][104][105][106][107].…”

“…In particular, studies imply that such participation can be somewhat symbolic and not afford citizens (particularly from marginalized groups) real power or influence over decision-making processes in smart cities [25,51,66,76,126,129]. This is evident in the case of the growing data generated by citizens, which are often controlled and mobilized by private companies and government agencies [23,27,113,114,134,135]; this grip on data has tightened during the pandemic, raising feelings of powerlessness and surveillance [129]. Even when smart citizens participate, their involvement in some smart city initiatives could be pre-defined or diminished in expert-led projects, thus effectively excluding them from the actual development of smart cities [38,51,54,136,137], much to some citizens' discontent [127].…”

Optimization Mobility in Sensor Actor Networks: A Comprehensive Framework

“…Notwithstanding the apparent potential of these networks, obstacles resulting from the ever-changing settings in which they function impede their ability to reach their maximum potential. Mobility is a critical component of these networks' effectiveness and is what determines their responsiveness, flexibility, and general efficiency [1]. A level of complexity that necessitates careful thought is introduced by the movement of players and sensors throughout the network.…”