“Mapping” Smart Cities

ABSTRACT

Smart cities are designed to use data to optimize resources, maintain sustainability, and improve people’s quality of life. While many urban technologies are employed to make cities “smart,” one constellation of technologies has been less examined in the academic literature—digital maps and the spatial data infrastructure. This paper is an attempt to systematically review the functions and evolution of digital maps and the spatial data infrastructure, with examples from Asia and beyond, in supporting and making smart cities possible. Based on the conceptual framework and empirical case studies, four major research directions of smart mapping are identified to better support smart city initiatives.

KEYWORDS:

• Smart mapping
• IoT
• Spatial data infrastructure
• Smart City Wheel

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant no. 41671154].

Notes on Contributors

Becky P. Y. Loo is professor and head of the Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong.

Winnie S. M. Tang, founder and chairman, Esri China (Hong Kong) is an adjunct professor in the department of Computer Science, The University of Hong Kong.

ORCID

Becky P.Y. Loo http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0822-5354