Foundations of Smart Cities

This unit introduces the historical evolution of cities and the defining features of smart cities while guiding students to map urban needs and articulate a strategic vision. Students will gain introductory skills in data literacy, urban technology building blocks, and foundational cybersecurity and IT governance to prepare for planning and implementation in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the historical development and core functions of cities and classify real-world examples according to common smart city characteristics
• Evaluate and prioritize urban needs, stakeholders, and challenges to produce a clear vision and measurable goals for a smart city initiative
• Apply basic data literacy and technical concepts to inventory city data sources, describe data flows, and perform simple analyses that inform planning decisions
• Demonstrate understanding of foundational cybersecurity principles and IT program governance by proposing initial security controls and an approach to transition the smart city project under IT oversight