People wish to live in cities that are clean, well-kept, citizen and nature friendly, democratically and effectively governed and offering optimum opportunities for education, creativity, mobility and employment. This requires radical change in all aspects of city administration and public life, providing high-quality services and effective planning, in short, cities can only persist if they are smart.
A smart city utilises the findings of modern scientific achievements from numerous fields, from urbanism and economic sciences to energy, logistics, pedagogy, etc.
The main factors and challenges of smart cities can be classified into five groups:
A knowledge/science city takes a significant step further, as it wishes to actively contribute to the development of science and technology so as to encourage economic growth not only in the city but beyond. It would be difficult to realise this role if it were not at the same time also a successful smart city. There are hundreds and probably even thousands of smart cities in the world, however – as estimated by the OECD – only 40 knowledge/science cities.
When it comes to smart cities across the globe, there are some which are considered the most typical and have been recognised for their originality in a specific field. Copenhagen is the most environmentally friendly and sustainable city in the world, as it has also significantly improved the effectiveness of public safety. Paris holds the title of the most innovative smart city due to the drastic decrease in energy consumption of public lighting and traffic control infrastructure, while San Francisco has long held the title of the green capital of smart cities. Barcelona and Singapore are distinguished by effective and transparent management, while Singapore is also known for being clean and well-kept.
The Management of Smart Cities programme is intended for all who work in public administration, municipalities, local communities, who help provide advanced solutions for the fields of energy, public utilities, etc. and of course for all who look ahead into the future and see business opportunities. The two-year master’s programme will provide you with practical knowledge from the fields of management and economy of smart cities, sustainable development, modern information technologies, innovative and creative processes, etc. The teachers are top Slovenian and international experts who will guide you through best practice examples, the solving of concrete problems faced by our local environment, field work and practical assignments towards the job of the future.
References
