I believe that Smart Cities should be calibrated mainly on "end users". Therefore, it seems to me quite evident to conduct statistically programmed surveys to highlight the needs and problems of "end users".

Dear Leonardo,

Basically, you are certainly right. But don't you think that in a lot of cases the needs are "artificially created" and - in the next step - the "creators of the needs" try to ensure the "end users" that the need is exactle what they want?

Best regards,

Jan

I do not know if some necessities are artificially created. But considering that from a long time scheduled obsolescence is generally accepted I think that some of the needs can be artificially created. See: https://www.researchgate.net/post/The_planned_obsolescence_is_ethically_acceptable

Without active engagement of the end users, no project can see the face of success.

You may spend a huge amount of money for advertisements, organizing seminars, talk show etc. for convincing people about the detrimental effects of Plastics.

But if the inhabitants of a city do not change their habit of using and throwing Polythene packets, your success rate will be ZERO.

Each and every project should be prepared after considering all the possible aspects; definitely including the end users.

But what about the needs of which end-users do not realize themselves? Such needs can be fulfilled from technological or economic point of view. Is it ethical to decide about this sort of needs "on behalf" the end-users? I think that the barrier separating the needs potentially acceptable and forced to be accepted is is very subtle ;-)

In International Conference on Communication, Management and Information Technology (ICCMIT 2018) (Madrid, April 2-4, 2018, http://www.iccmit.net), an Special Session on "Smart-Cities and Information Technologies" is planned to be organized.