Page 36 - U4SSC Data and API requirements for centralized smart city platforms

6 Conclusions: integration with the SSC platform

This document observed the evolving role of the SCP, which can be combined with the concept of
city as a centralized platform. Moreover, this report recognized that the SC plays the role of “hub”,
which transforms the city to a “highly connected space”, where information, services, materials and
people flow and utilize innovation and technology to monitor, manage and enhance this flow. In this
regard, it grounded two research questions. RQ1 asked to clarify how the SC is being transformed
to a “hub” and in this regard it analysed literature and empirical evidence together with vendors’
leaflets. This evidence showed the structure and operation of the SC platforms. Additionally,
several smart service providers and consumers evolve within SC, which need management and
standardization. These requirements can be met by the existence of a central point, which connects
the producers and consumers within the SC and apply rules for their transactions. This central point
is defined and labelled “SC Hub”, while it was differentiated to the SC platform.

RQ2 on the other hand, attempted to justify this paper’s claim for the SC evolution to a “hub”. As
such, a conceptual architecture was designed and justified this hub approach. This architecture
was inspired by a typical network hub; it consists of four interconnected layers, while it respects all
the requirements for data, service, and even material and people flow within a city. Additionally,
some characteristics were given, such as cross-platform and open operations.

The existence of such a SC Hub could control flows and oblige specific rules to the providers/
consumers to eliminate waste and mobility problems. Although someone could claim that such
rules could reduce freedom in cities, today it is broadly agreed that traffic and waste are phenomena
that communities must reduce. Such a reduction requires an operation framework, which can be
approved by stakeholders and installed in the city via the SC Hub. The SCHub must be integrated
with the SCP (Figure 16).

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