Many smart city publications talk of a need for new models of partnership working: public–private
partnerships that create a shared vision for the smart city, bringing together leaders from city
government, national government, health services, universities, business, social enterprises and the
community sector. But as it is already known, crucial to the acceptance and success of smart cities is
the involvement of citizens. Cities in which citizens take a central role are creating public–private–
people partnerships.
There’s no clear beginning or end to the process of becoming smart: the road to smart cities is a
transition process that can take 10, 15 or even 20 years. Today’s decisions on city infrastructures
and services will have consequences for the future generations who live in the city. There needs to be
a huge cultural shift away from working in silos and towards integration across organizations, cities
and countries. Smart city partnerships need to bring people together but they also need to be a vehicle
that commissions and manages smart infrastructure and technology, dealing with issues such as
finance, privacy and security.
This paper will discuss about this issue providing examples of success stories found in Europe and
across the world.