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but also on the architectural scale. The content of the smart city approach does
not have a perception that blindly advocates the idea that ‘a smart city will be
created’. The reality here is to see that there is a process of development by
human capital. Currently, taking into account the components of the smart
city (governance, culture, human, technological innovations, etc.) and the
basic characteristics of a smart person as one of these components (lifelong
learning, social plurality, flexibility, creativity, open-mindedness, participation
in public life, cosmopolitanism, etc.), it is a quite clear and predictable result
that the concept of a smart city is in the process of rapid development.
In the context of sustainability, a common sense has been reached worldwide
about the important role and function of the smart city approach in urban
planning processes. The main reasons why this common sense finds the smart
city approach necessary can be expressed as (a) providing positive externality
of intelligent systems in the face of increasing population and demands, (b)
eliminating negative consequences caused by urban growth models in the
medium and long term, and (c) increasing the quality and quantity of livability
of residential areas.
Better use of public resources and increasing the quality of urban services
offered by reducing the transaction costs which are aimed by the smart cities
can only be realised by means of technological facilities that offer transparency
and reveal the existing potentials due to a communication infrastructure
which ensures economic access to holistic, basic and various public services.
These facilities are in many aspects (transportation and parking, maintenance
of public spaces, urban lighting, management and optimization of traditional
public services such as cultural heritage protection and garbage collection,
etc.) offer significant opportunities. In addition, technological innovations
that can be actively used in the management processes of urban systems will
enable municipalities to obtain applicable information to produce solutions.
In this context, these innovations, including artificial intelligence and
information and communication technologies, will enable local governments
to correctly understand the needs of the city and citizens, produce applicable
policies, and predict possible future problem areas by developing models
in accordance with these policies. The fact that smart cities are qualified to
shape the future and meet the ‘user-oriented’ needs of new generations
promises that they will have significant advantages in many respects for
countries that invested in and/or are investing in smart urban solutions. It is
not hard to predict that central and local governments, which do not have any
commitments in urban settlements regarding information and communication
technologies, will be left behind in the long term in terms of development
levels in the current competitive conditions.

194 Journal of Environment, Urbanization and Climate