Yes, you have set the scene.

Can I contribute practical aspects, which can be referred to in any smart city project?

KPIs

Key Performance Indicators

Do not look too far, read the press. Italy has an awful smog darkening its major cities Milan (economic capital), Turin (industry capital) and Rome (political and... spiritual capital).

Spain and its Catalonia region, EU and the still united Kingdom where London, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Gibraltar are very different views/priorities/challenges compared with other parts of the Kingdom.

From just two lines of news you see what your KPIs need to cover:

-the Planet

-the People.

1. Planet KPIs

The respect of the environment, seen holistically (ecologically was the classical term) is vital for the city which is disqualified for any smartness otherwise.

Except for one country on earth which seems they do not belong the the same planet, we are all on the same boat, there is no Planet B!

2. People KPIs

Health, social, societal, political balance and respect, gender equality, absence of discrimination, mutual respect, education and jobs... Intergenerational balanced contract... You can add more

3. Common feature of KPIs

They govern sustainability and enable happiness

Is this Utopia?

Definitely concrete steps towards Utopia, happier cities and citizens...

You the need to be concrete, identify issues, and how smarter cities can address them: reduce and even solve the problem.

There was for many years the recurring plague, the recurring cholera in cities of Europe, to take an example.

Hygiene improvements and clean water supply brought a solution. It took centuries...

There is no shortage of issues to solve.

Now is the time to act, sustainably, responsibly, and democratically, in the full awareness of the subsidiarity principle: modular action, by those closest works best.

Integration and best practice comes next, to capitalise on benefits and stabilise them as "acquired" once for all.

Hope this helps

I agree with you. But I want to include a conditio sine qua non, use of NTICs. What is your opinion about the problem of digital divides?

The smart city term has already become a cliche but still there is value in looking at how cities can be more efficient and effective. It is smart to have cities with good transport networks, good housing, employment opportunities, good schools, good recycling etc. Technology can help in all of these and more.

Which is the world's smartest city?

It´s true, the smart city term has a cliche because the politicians and some academics use the concept as a part of a marketing program. In academic terms, you have a problem of "conceptual traveling" (the application of the concept to new cases) and "conceptual stretching" (the distortion that occurs when a concept does not fit the new cases).

Horizon 2020 Smart Cities and Communities

It´s very interesting. (pages 106-124). Comments welcome European Commission Decision C(2016)4614 of 25 July 2016 http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/2016_2017/main/h2020-wp1617-focus_en.pdf

I recommend:

Article Driving Forces Behind Smart City Implementations - The Next ...

Conference Paper Creating Smart, Sustainable and Safe Cities

I believe that it is a interesant proposal. What do you think about this?

I reccomend this paper:

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/4851/fa729df5c475d80713f66f763105284f3ef1.pdf

An information framework for creating a smart city through internet of things

J Jin, J Gubbi, S Marusic

What do you think about this? I don´t know this interdisciplinary team of young professionals but I believe that it is very interesting. Providing strategic consulting services adapted to the needs and environment of our clients, solutions to governments and companies with a comprehensive and innovative vision for the development of smart cities.

http://www.smartcitiesatlas.com/en/