There is no doubt that Smart City projects are expected to address many issues connected with urbanisation which is on the rise in Asia.

To make the project successful it is necessary that all stakeholders are encouraged to work a team with single-minded focus on delivering project goals on time, urban researchers say.

It is important to create a cohesive team that should have representation of the three pillars of Smart City development: the municipality, people and academics, with the backing of academic research.

The academic research should include   urban innovation projects study with the involvement of people in the initial development of pilot urbanisation project. It consists of development on three fronts, namely creative traffic and transport; creative economy; and creative space.

‘Creative traffic’ would involve finding activities or creative solutions to ensure orderly and safe road usage. ‘Creative economy’ would focus on introducing changes in manufacturing, service and retail sectors, as well as the entertainment industry via new approaches driven by individuals’ skills and talents. This would bring about a new economic system that combines culture, economy and technology in the “cultural industry”.

‘Creative space’ involves arranging spaces that boost people’s experience and opportunities for well-rounded development and a creative-learning process. This effort would also involve the participation of children, families and communities, as well as related state agencies, the researchers say.