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A smart city is an urban area that uses digital technology to collect data and to operate/provide services.[1][2] Data can be collected from citizens, devices, buildings, cameras. Applications include traffic and transportation systems,[3] power plants, utilities, urban forestry,[4] water supply networks, waste disposal, criminal investigations, information systems, schools, libraries, hospitals, and other community services.[5][6] Smart cities are characterized by the ways in which their local governments monitor, analyze, plan, and govern the city. In a smart city, the sharing of data extends to businesses, citizens and other third parties who can derive benefit from using that data.[7][8] The three largest sources of spending associated with smart cities as of 2022 were visual surveillance, public transit, and outdoor lighting.[9] Smart cities integrate information and communication technology (ICT), and devices connected to the Internet of things (IOT) network to optimize city services and connect to citizens.[10][11] ICT cab be used to enhance quality, performance, and interactivity of urban services, to reduce costs and resource consumption and to increase contact between citizens and government.[12] Smart city applications manage urban flows and allow for real-time responses.[13] A smart city may be more prepared to respond to challenges than one with a conventional "transactional" relationship with its citizens.[14][15] Yet, the term is open to many interpretations.[16] Many cities have already adopted some sort of smart city technology. Smart city initiatives have been criticized as driven by corporations,[17][18] poorly adapted to residents' needs,[19][20] as largely unsuccessful,[citation needed] and as a move toward totalitarian surveillance.[21] Background Historically, cities functioned as centers of innovation, and the advent of the digital era presented opportunities and challenges to apply technology to create urban environments that are more efficient, sustainable, and livable.[22][23][24][25][how?][26] The shift to smart cities necessitates a comprehensive restructuring of city management and operations, leading citizen participation, and methods of public service delivery.[25] Cities seek to upgrade their infrastructure and service delivery, to promote social inclusion, technological adoption, and economic development.[26][27][28][25] The transformation into a smart city involves modifications in planning, management, and operational processes.[29] This data can subsequently be analyzed to identify areas for improvement and optimize urban services. Information and communication technologies The concept of smart cities emerged from cities' adoption[30] of information and communications technologies.[31][32] ICTs present challenges given financial limitations, technical obstacles, and privacy and security concerns. ICTs are also not uniformly accessible across communities, contributing to the digital divide.[26] Definition No commonly accepted definition of "smart city" has emerged.[22][33]: 71  Evaluating smart city initiatives becomes difficult without agreement on parameters. It also hampers the ability to compare projects and identify best practices.[34][35][29] Deakin and Al Waer list four factors that contribute to the definition of a smart city:[36] Application of a wide range electronic and digital technologies Use of ICT in living and working environments Use of ICT in government systems The territorialisation of practices that brings ICT and people together to enhance innovation and knowledge. Deakin defines the smart city as one that uses ICT to meet the demands of the market (the citizens of the city), based on community involvement.[37] Studies of smart city projects can be used as an alternative to difficult-to-define broad definitions in order to clarify what smart cities are.[22][38] Early definitions Notable disparities among smart city definitions include the relative focus on economic advantages versus environmental or social benefits and specific technology choices.[26]