The term smart city, like the over-used 5G acronym, is tricky to define. Every so-called expert you ask has a different view. To date, there is no unified definition.

Many talk of platforms and infrastructure as the cornerstone. For some the focus is on sustainability, both environmental and economic; others point to specific objectives like improving transportation, governance, health and safety.

The head of Dubai’s smart taskforce, Aisha Bin Bishr, said she is working with the ITU on smart city KPIs with the goal of having standards nailed down in a couple of years. She said these will help give other cities a blueprint to follow.

Not content on just being a smart city, Dubai has set the ambitious goal of being the “smartest city” by 2020.

While there is no agreement on an exact meaning, a consensus is emerging on the fundamental elements required: data sharing, co-creation, engaging with citizens and integration.

The was the view of officials from 16 cities who shared their challenges and successes at the Smart City conference last Saturday, organised by the TM Forum in Yinchuan, an autonomous region in northwest China.

The two-day conference, which drew in about 250 people from governments, NGOs and private firms, had a high-level focus, looking more at vision and strategy, rather than case studies and implementation.

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