Page 198 - Shaping smarter and more sustainable cities - Striving for sustainable development goals

primordial in any SSC to ensure transparency and will also act as a catalyser for innovation and
business generation.

One of the keys for the success of SSC strategies is that they must have a holistic vision, so all
departments of the city administration must be involved at some level on the project. Collaboration
among them is also critical for a successful SSC implementation. This is not an easy task, due to
traditional governance models and separation of powers that divide city functions into separate
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independent departments with little interaction , which compromises the efficiency and hinders
the synergies that can emerge with new services for the city.
It is expected that some departments would have a stronger role to play in leading the city's
transformation to a more sustainable and smart model. Some of these key departments have been
identified in Table 1, including examples of possible collaborations between them. Since city
departments are organized differently across cities, some of the departments listed below may be
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named differently, or may be grouped together with others.

Table 1 – Examples of the role of different municipal units/divisions in SSCs

 Urban planning unit
The urban planning unit has many responsibilities regarding the implementation of SSC. Since it has the mandate to
manage the territorial setting of the city and establish the respective use of the land, this unit is one of the most
important when SSC projects are to be implemented at a city level. It is important that they consider the ICT
infrastructure as part of their long term city planning. Due to its integrative capacities and transversality, this unit
should be the one that manages the city platform that integrates the different city services, as well as the data
gathering and analysis of the city.
This unit should also work towards the spread of more efficient, safe and smart buildings, facilities and businesses
across the cities. Finally, it is an ideally placed unit to implement public participation programs where citizens can
contribute to the design and planning of the city. This can be done, for instance, in the case of rebuilding a square,
modifying a street, finding a new use for a public owned building or simply proposing changes in planning or design
that the city needs.
 Security and emergency services unit
The main role for this unit within the SSC model is to implement solutions that increase the city's resilience. To do
this is recommended that ICT technologies are included in their planning and response activities. This will mean an
increase of information, especially real‐time information, that will enable this unit to better anticipate risk situations,
and if they take place, to have a quicker reaction to limit their financial, environmental and human costs, as well as
speed up restoration of normal living conditions. This unit has to be prepared to coordinate the other units in case
of an emergency, especially with the health, infrastructure, transportation and citizen services units.

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28 Readiness Guide. Smart Cities Council.
29 http://w110.bcn.cat/portal/site/Ajuntament/menuitem.38c1cee3a16e78f040f740f7a2ef8a0c/
?vgnextoid=6050142be8ef0310VgnVCM10000074fea8c0RCRD&vgnextchannel=6050142be8ef0310VgnV
CM10000074fea8c0RCRD&lang=ca_ES
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about‐the‐city/who‐we‐are/Pages/organisational‐structure.aspx
http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts.html
https://www.cityofboston.gov/government/citydept.asp

http://www.rio.rj.gov.br/orgaos‐municipais;jsessionid=D0DA80C05219FFC60C4BA14200A12F71.liferay‐
inst5
http://www.df.gob.mx/index.php

http://www.municipalidaddesantiago.cl/categorias/home/municipio‐2/oficinas‐municipales

188 ITU‐T's Technical Reports And Specifications