Smart City Progress Direction and Strategy in Seoul Metropolis

This study proposes three ways to create Smart City Models that suit regional characteristics of Seoul: 1) convergence with existing traditional industries in preparation for the augmented reality era; 2) step-by-step approaches as technology develops; 3) widespread projects from public to private areas.

Major Tasks and Detailed Plans for Smart City Seoul

One of the major tasks is to provide ICT-based public services for citizens in the field of transportation, safety, and energy. In order to achieve this goal, current systems in transportation and safety fields should be first improved by integrating and linking big data. Second, IoT is a main technology to apply in the entire city for efficient urban monitoring and operation. Third, building smart infrastructures is required to implement Smart City.

Another major task is how to foster new industries for urban regeneration. The detailed plans are to foster new industries related to smart cities, to expand innovative spaces for start-ups, and to designate innovation districts for new industries.

Policy Suggestions

First, the city government should build up and operate an organization which is in charge of Smart City Seoul in order to develop a comprehensive plan including a mid- to long-term vision and strategy in an era of the fourth industrial revolution. Second, it is desirable to plan smart city projects separately from information service systems deploying all over the Seoul City. Each smart city project can be gradually expanded when the technologies are successfully verified. Nationally, it is essential to create jobs related to new technology by designating ‘National Model City.’ Third, it is necessary to create a new industrial cluster converging with declining manufacturing industries for economic vitality and youth employment in Seoul. This will help the city to establish an economic base in the future. Fourth, the city government should actively support projects which are not harmful to the environment: financing eco-friendly energy infrastructures in response to fine dust and heat wave; building energy storage and exchange system by integrating with ICT; and trying various pilot projects. Finally, it is more important to create a platform that can apply smart technologies than to make a smart city itself. The platform will be gradually developed fitting into the evolving city like Seoul. Each pilot project should be also considered as a new urban model by applying them as test-beds and living labs.