Next Article in Journal
Has Secondary Science Education Become an Elite Product in Emerging Nations?—A Perspective of Sustainable Education in the Era of MDGs and SDGs
Previous Article in Journal
Online Delivery Problem for Hybrid Truck–Drone System with Independent and Truck-Carried Drones
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Sustainability
Volume 15
Issue 2
10.3390/su15021591
sustainability-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles thumb_up
...
Endorse textsms
...
Comment
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Smart Mega-City Development in Practice: A Case of Shanghai, China

by
Qinghong Cui
1,
Run Chen
1,
Ruirui Wei
1,
Xiancun Hu
2,* and
Guangbin Wang
3
1
School of Management Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266525, China
2
School of Design and the Built Environment, University of Canberra, Canberra 2601, Australia
3
School of Economics and Management, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1591; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021591
Submission received: 16 November 2022 / Revised: 3 January 2023 / Accepted: 4 January 2023 / Published: 13 January 2023
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

:
As Shanghai is a megacity and pioneer in smart city development in China, this paper used Shanghai as a megacity example to investigate smart city development over the past ten years. By collecting data from multiple sources, a case study methodology was utilized to explore Shanghai’s smart megacity development in practice. Based on the key events and phases of Shanghai’s smart city development, the practical contents were systematically investigated. The main conclusions of this research included four aspects, consisting of information infrastructure, information technology and industrial development, information perception and smart applications, and a security assurance system. Moreover, a conceptual framework for Shanghai’s smart city development was constructed by integrating the phases and contents. Furthermore, the implications of Shanghai’s smart city development are critically discussed and identified from five aspects, including the development pathway, the government’s role, the financing channel, information and communication technology (ICT)-driven development, and a people-oriented concept. This study benefits academia, governments, and practitioners by providing useful insights and valuable implications for other cities to develop smart cities.

1. Introduction

A smart city is not only applied to improve the functioning of cities through the full use of ICT [1], but is also regarded as an innovative urban model to promote the sustainable development of cities [2]. As a new path for urban development concerning the combination of environmental protection and economic sustainability, smart city development is treated as an ideal solution for the city’s sustainable development [3]. Although smart city development is conducive to promoting the city’s sustainable development [4], cities with various population, social, and economic characteristics conduct different development activities. In particular, as cities’ populations explode rapidly, a series of urban challenges and problems appear, such as a lack of infrastructure, traffic congestion, and air pollution [5]. With a higher population density, the megacity’s situation is more severe [6,7]. However, studies on smart mega-city development are still lacking.
A mega-city is identified as having a resident population of more than 10 million people [6]. The megacities play an important role in politics, science and technology, the economy, and innovation. The concept of a smart megacity can be defined as a megacity that takes an integrated approach to utilizing ICTs in urban planning, development, and operation so as to promote sustainable economic growth and improve urban life quality. Compared with other types of cities, smart megacities are distinguished by their larger urban population and higher population density. Due to the high degree of population aggregation, they still confront serious problems during the processes of their smart city development [7]. It is necessary to summarize smart mega-city development in practice to further improve urban governance capacity, effective supply of public services, urban operation efficiency, and safety level. However, the existing literature is still lacking systematic case studies on smart megacity development.
Since the concept of a smart city was introduced in 2010 [8], China’s smart city development has experienced an evolution from the smart city to the new-type smart city. Since January 2013, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China has announced three batches of smart city pilot lists. Under the background of China’s new urbanization development strategy, the new-type smart city was proposed in 2016. As the largest economic and financial center city in China, Shanghai ranked in the first echelon in the “Report on the development level of China’s smart cities” from 2011 to 2020 and also won the “World Smart City Awards” at the 2020 Smart City Expo World Congress, which was the first city in China to win this award. However, the existing research on the practice and implications of Shanghai’s smart city development is still scarce.
Based on the above analyses, this paper takes Shanghai as a mega-city case to explore its smart city development and attempts to answer the following questions through longitudinal research: First, what are the main phases and contents of Shanghai’s smart city development? Second, what can the useful implications of Shanghai’s practice provide to other cities? Although the contents of Shanghai’s smart city development have changed with different phases, theoretical studies on the development pathway and evolution are still lacking. Hence, it is necessary to conduct a systematic study on Shanghai’s smart city development. A theoretical framework combining the phases with the contents is constructed by studying Shanghai’s smart city development. The framework not only adds a typical structure of smart mega-city development but also reveals the evolution of Shanghai’s development pathway. Practically, this framework will have beneficial implications for other cities’ development.
The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 presents the literature review. Section 3 details the case study method, data sources, data collection, and processing. Section 4 conducts the case study of Shanghai’s smart city development and reports the results. Section 5 develops a conceptual framework for Shanghai’s smart city development and discusses the implications. Section 6 focuses on conclusions and limitations.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Smart City Development

Although the term smart city is widely used in academia, governments, and companies, the concept of a smart city is still not clear and consistent [9]. A comprehensive definition of a smart city is that it is “a city where investments in human and social capital and traditional (transport) and modern (ICT) communication infrastructure fuel sustainable economic growth and high quality of life, with a wise management of natural resources, through participatory governance [10]”. In terms of smart city development, it can not only solve urban challenges and problems [11], but also play a valuable role in cities’ sustainable development [9]. Moreover, smart city development is influenced by internal factors (e.g., citizen involvement, leadership, and infrastructure) and external factors (e.g., political will and stakeholders) [12]. In addition, smart city development can be facilitated by different drivers, including a smart environment, a smart economy, smart people, smart governance, smart mobility, and smart living [13]. Nevertheless, there are still many barriers to smart city development, such as the aspects related to governance, economics, and technology [14]. Furthermore, the results of smart city development include positive and negative dimensions [2]. To sum up, the existing literature already conducts a comprehensive study on smart city development but ignores the diversity of population, culture, and context in different smart cities. Especially, systematic case studies on specific smart city development are still lacking.

2.2. Case Study in Smart City Development

In order to further promote smart city development, there has been an increasing trend toward studying smart city cases in different populations and contexts. [15,16]. Four Korean cities and four cities in Europe and the U.S. were selected as the smart city cases to determine strategic priorities for smart city development, and a series of valuable insights into the driving effect of strategic principles on smart city development were obtained [17]. The case of Aarhus, a Danish smart city, was chosen to identify the influence of the Scandinavian collaborative model on its smart city development, and the findings showed that the Scandinavian model was significant for the functioning form of Aarhus’s smart city development [18]. Moreover, a case study of Wuhu in China was conducted to illustrate the facilitating influence of different data sources on its smart city development, and practical insights into the application of big data for smart city development were also provided [19]. Moreover, Joss et al. (2019) selected 27 cities from 5553 cities in the world to occupy the central place in the smart city global discourse network [20]. Among them, there were three megacities from China, including Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Beijing. These cities were also regarded as the pioneers of smart city development and became models of good practice for other cities to follow. Despite the idea of smart cities being appreciated for megacities’ emerging economies, the cities are still wrestling with rapidly increasing populations, traffic congestion, and pollution [21]. Furthermore, very few studies focusing on smart megacities can be identified, especially in China.

2.3. Shanghai’s Smart City Development

As the second most inhabited megacity in China, Shanghai embarked on its smart city development in 2011. The first policy for facilitating smart city development, named “Shanghai’s 2011–2013 Action Plan for Promoting Smart City Development”, was issued in September 2011 [22]. In September 2014, “Shanghai’s 3-year Action Plan for Promoting Smart City Development (2014–2016)” was released, focusing on the implementation of 5 major schemes of “Vigorous Shanghai” [23]. In September 2016, the government released “Shanghai’s 13th Five-Year Plan for Promoting Smart City Development” [24]. The plan pointed out that in the next 5 years, Shanghai would lay emphasis on the development of convenient smart life, a high-end smart economy, excellent smart governance, and collaborative smart government. Furthermore, Shanghai would build a data reserve center of national strategy and a global “data economy” hub city. In October 2017, “Shanghai’s Implementing Advice on Promoting the Development of New Generation of Artificial Intelligence (AI)” was published, clearly stating that the development of AI should be deeply integrated with the mega-city’s operation and governance [25]. Additionally, in the context of a new-type smart city and smart society, Shanghai issued “Several Suggestions on Further Accelerating Smart City Development” in February 2020 [26]. The policy pointed out that Shanghai would be a global pioneer of the new-type smart city and a leading forerunner of smart society. “Shanghai’s 14th Five-Year Plan for Building a Globally Influential Science and Technology Innovation Center” was released in September 2021 [27]. The plan emphasized accelerating the development of a digitally smart city and promoting the megacity’s digital transformation and efficiency improvement.
Despite Shanghai’s smart city development starting earlier in China, studies on its development phases, contents, and evolution are still scarce. Over a decade of smart city development, plenty of literature and materials about Shanghai were produced, which might provide available data for a further case study. In addition to conducting a case study to summarize the experience and lessons of Shanghai’s smart city development, this study could also put forward beneficial implications for other cities. Nevertheless, few studies on Shanghai’s smart city development are carried out in practice. Hence, it is necessary to take Shanghai as a mega-city case to conduct a systematic study.

3. Research Design

3.1. Method

The study aims to investigate smart mega-city development in practice and chose Shanghai as a typical case. The research on specific development phases and contents belongs to the question of “what it is”, and it is suitable to employ the case study method to address such questions [28]. Unlike a literature review, which mainly takes journal papers for analysis [29], the data for case studies are more extensive [30]. In terms of the qualitative case approach, the materials include secondary sources and fieldwork data [31].
In addition, the main reasons for choosing Shanghai for the case study are as follows: First, Shanghai is a typical megacity. By the end of 2021, Shanghai had a permanent population of 24.894 million [32]. Second, the data for Shanghai are available. Due to the subjectivity and difficulty collection of first-hand materials over the past decade, this paper mainly uses second-hand sources for the case study. These sources include government websites, the Web of Science, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, Internet news, reports, and reviews. Third, the practice of Shanghai’s smart city development has achieved remarkable results. Specifically, the typical events of Shanghai’s smart city development are summarized in Table 1.

3.2. Secondary Materials

The case studies were mainly investigated by identifying materials from secondary sources. During the materials collection, a group of six researchers was established, including one professor, one associate professor, one lecturer, one doctoral student, and two graduate students. Due to the large amount of data involved, the steps of data collection and processing were formulated after the group’s discussion:
(1)
The basic information about Shanghai was collected by the lecturer and two graduate students. The materials involved the positioning and characteristics of the mega-city, the process, and award achievements of Shanghai’s smart city development. Subsequently, the relevant contents were further sorted and summarized.
(2)
The official materials were collected from Shanghai’s government portal website [38] by using “smart city” and “new-type smart city” as search keywords. On the basis of classifying the collected materials, the effective policy documents and reports needed in this paper were extracted by reading them one by one.
(3)
Three sub-groups were divided to search the newspapers, academic papers, and dissertations by using the CNKI database and to search academic papers from the Web of Science database. The search keywords were “smart city”, “new-type smart city”, “Shanghai”, and “smart Shanghai”.
(4)
News reports and exclusive interviews were collected using the Baidu search engine, which further supplemented the above materials. In order to ensure quality, the collection, classification, and processing of the materials were guided by the professor. The materials and their sources applied for the subsequent analyses are shown in Table 2.

4. Analyzes of the Materials

4.1. Phases of Shanghai’s Smart City Development

Based on the above documents concerning Shanghai’s smart city development [22,23,24,25,26,27], the landmarks are shown in Figure 1.
According to the key events in Figure 1, Shanghai’s smart city development can be further divided into three phases.
(1)
Exploratory promotion phase (2011–2013). The main event during this phase was the release of “Shanghai’s 2011–2013 Action Plan for Promoting Smart City Development”, which officially proposed to facilitate the future-oriented development of the smart city. The smart city development in this stage was characterized by digitization, networking, and intelligence. It focused on the exploration of promotion modes, innovative management mechanisms, business models, and the development of strategically emerging industries. A solid foundation was also proposed at this stage, which mainly included demonstration projects of infrastructure, information technologies, and smart applications.
(2)
Continuous deepening phase (2014–2017). The first landmark of this phase was the announcement of “Shanghai’s Three-year Action Plan for Promoting Smart City Development (2014–2016)”, which aimed to explore policies and measures for promoting smart city development. Additionally, a new-type smart city characterized by ubiquity, integration, and intelligence was developed at this stage. Another key event was the release of “Shanghai’s 13th Five-year Plan for Promoting Smart City Development”, emphasizing the city’s innovative development. In addition to realizing the coordinated development of information technology and economic society, the integrated innovation of information technology and industry development was also initiated. The third landmark was “Shanghai’s Implementing Advice on Promoting the Development of New Generation of AI”, focusing on the deep integration of AI with the megacity’s operations and governance. Shanghai’s smart city development at this stage has continued to deepen in the integration of informatization with urban development, smart applications, information infrastructure, and network security systems.
(3)
The efficiency improvement phase (2018–2021). One landmark of this phase was the release of “Several Suggestions on Further Accelerating Smart City Development”, stressing the positive influence of new-type smart city development on economic transformation and innovative development. Besides further promoting digital transformation and the development of the real economy, the efficiency of professional services, such as “smart+” law, accounting, and technology transactions, was improved. The other landmark was the declaration of “Shanghai’s 14th Five-Year Plan for Building a Globally Influential Science and Technology Innovation Center”. The plan not only emphasized applying cutting-edge information technologies but also stressed accelerating digitally smart city development. Furthermore, the mega-city’s efficiency in modern governance was improved for the sake of the digital transformation to the urban economy, life, and government.

4.2. Contents of Shanghai’s Smart City Development

The paper draws on the framework in “Shanghai’s 13th Five-year Plan for Promoting Smart City Development” [24] with the above phases and focuses on the contents from four aspects: information infrastructure, information technology and industrial development, information perception and smart applications, and security assurance system.

4.2.1. Information Infrastructure

Information infrastructure contributing to smart city development was employed for technology utilization and smart applications. The improvement of its service level would further promote the convenience of urban life and the efficiency of urban operation.
In the exploratory promotion phase, the focal points of the information infrastructure were to construct a broadband city and a wireless city. Shanghai’s broadband city construction focused on fiber broadband to the home (FTTH) and the upgrade of the next generation of radio and television networks [39]. In terms of wireless city infrastructure, Shanghai prioritized the development of the wireless local area network (WLAN) and mobile communication network [40], which was regarded as the fifth public infrastructure after water, electricity, gas, and transportation. By the end of 2013, the number of WLAN access points in public places in Shanghai had reached 165,000 [41]. In addition, functional service-oriented information infrastructure was also underlined in this stage, including Internet data centers for large-scale commercial cloud computing, super-computing centers for upgrading and expanding application services, and information platforms for providing high-accuracy positioning services [42]. Through the construction of information infrastructure in Shanghai, the public service quality for citizens, enterprises, and institutions has been further improved.
In the continuous deepening phase, Shanghai has aimed to improve the service level of next generation information infrastructure, particularly the fourth-generation communication system (4G) [43]. Compared with the previous stage, the coverage and availability of Shanghai’s broadband infrastructure were gradually expanded to rural areas. In regard to wireless city infrastructure in this phase, the coverage and quantity of WLAN were further increased, and the mobile communication network gradually upgraded from the third-generation communication system to the 4G. In terms of functional service-oriented information infrastructure, the high-accuracy positioning service platform had been basically completed, and the number of Internet data centers had continuously increased. Moreover, Shanghai emphasized the infrastructure’s adaptation to industrial development and gradually explored cross-regional integration and the service capabilities of the information infrastructure. In addition, the Internet of Things (IoT) backbone network would be constructed at this stage, and the full coverage of specialized networks might be realized in 2017 [44], so as to further explore the development environment and scale application.
Shanghai’s information infrastructure in the efficiency improvement phase was characterized by high speed, mobility, security, and ubiquity, aiming to improve the service level. In terms of the broadband city, Shanghai’s infrastructure was upgraded through high-speed broadband technology and Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). In November 2020, Shanghai’s users of gigabit fixed broadband reached 9.6 million households [45]. For the wireless city in this phase, the mobile communication infrastructure was more efficient and extensive. By 2020, a total of 31.4 thousand 5G outdoor base stations would be built in Shanghai to cover the whole city [46]. As for functional service-oriented information infrastructure, the layout of Internet data centers (IDCs) had been further optimized, and the number of IDCs operated by telecom companies grew continuously. In April 2021, Shanghai took the lead in building the world’s first all-optical smart city. Through a 5G plus gigabit optical network, the fiber-optic smart city was an upgraded version of a “double gigabit broadband city”, which could improve broadband and reduce delay [47].

4.2.2. Information Technology and Industrial Development

To solve the problems faced by urban development and achieve the goals of sustainable development, it is necessary to increase the research and development (R&D) of information technologies. The integration and demonstration application of information technologies in Shanghai’s smart city will further accelerate related industries’ development and contribute to transforming and upgrading other industries.
(1)
Information technology development and application
In the exploratory promotion phase, the key information technologies included cloud computing, IoT, next-generation network, and the Internet of vehicles. While focusing on the independent R&D of core technologies, Shanghai also emphasized the demonstration application, especially the formation of solutions and a series of products. As the main body of technological R&D, the enterprises also increased the development of key hardware equipment and further enhanced their innovative ability by increasing the R&D input of core components. The demonstration application of information technologies was demand-oriented in different fields in Shanghai. Consequently, the operation efficiency and public service ability in Shanghai were improved.
Cloud computing, big data, and IoT were the main information technologies in the continuous deepening stage. The development and demonstration applications of these technologies were stressed. The emphasis on the R&D of these technologies provides breakthroughs in key technologies and core equipment, such as data storage and processing technologies, big data mining technologies, and micro-sensor equipment for the IoT. Additionally, the technologies were deeply applied in different fields in Shanghai, such as cloud computing, which was utilized in public service and e-government; big data, which was used in finance and education; and IoT employed in transportation. Moreover, the IoT was also integrated into elderly services so as to promote the application of elderly care models, such as remote health monitoring and home security. Shanghai also focused on the integrated application of different technologies, which were jointly used in the operation and management of urban infrastructure to enhance existing facilities’ service ability [48].
In the efficiency improvement phase, Shanghai focused on accelerating the innovation and development of information technologies, such as cloud computing, IoT, intelligent twins, and “city brain” [49]. The integration of information technologies with the real economy was also promoted [50]. For example, the deep application of the technologies in urban public transport further improved Shanghai’s operational efficiency and service capabilities. In addition, the application of IoT in urban management could also improve operational efficiency. Furthermore, the application of information technologies further helped to upgrade urban governance systems and modernize governance capabilities [51].
(2)
Development of the Information Technology Industry
In the exploratory promotion phase, the information technology industry focused on its sustainable development and driving effect on other industries. Its development was based on innovation agglomeration, chain clustering, business model innovation, and environment optimization. It also focused on the formation of the corresponding application market and industrial chain. The driving effect included promoting the transformation, upgrade, and integrated development of traditional industries. At the end of 2013, the scale of the emerging industry reached CNY 1.09 trillion and provided strong conditions for the prior development of the information service industry.
In the continuous deepening stage, a new green, high-end generation of information technology industry systems was built, and industrial innovation continued to be supported. In this phase, the information technology industry added new fields such as big data, new display, and network security technologies. In addition to focusing on developing basic industries, the industrialization of new-generation information technologies and terminal equipment was promoted. Moreover, the deep integration between Shanghai’s other industrial chains and informatization was stressed. In 2016, the total scale of Shanghai’s information technology industry reached CNY 1.2 trillion, and the added value of the information service industry accounted for 7% of Shanghai’s gross domestic product [52]. In 2017, the new generation of the information technology industry grew by 7.3% [53]. Additionally, the promotional role of information technologies in Shanghai’s other industries focused on the driving effect of model and business innovation [54].
The new-generation information technology industry was dominated in the efficiency improvement phase, and the technological industrialization capability was further enhanced. In this phase, the technologies further facilitated industrial innovation and cluster development. Additionally, the industrialization and innovative development of information technologies, such as cloud computing and IoT, were accelerated. In 2020, the scale of Shanghai’s core big data industry reached CNY 230 billion, and the number of core enterprises exceeded 1000 [55]. In 2021, 1651 high-quality enterprises using big data were well developed in Shanghai. In terms of Shanghai’s AI industry, the number of key AI enterprises reached 1116 in 2020 [56]. The output values of AI enterprises above the designated size separately exceeded CNY 200 and 300 billion in 2020 and 2021 [57].

4.2.3. Information Perception and Smart Applications

Information perception and smart applications were based on innovative employment of information infrastructure and technologies. Information perception can timely and comprehensively collect the operational data of urban systems. Smart applications are characterized by demand matching, benefiting citizens, accelerating popularization, and efficiency improvement through technological integration, innovative models, and high-quality services.
In the exploratory promotion phase, the main pilots of information perception included a smart water network perception system [58], the perception evaluation system of information security status, and the breakthrough of information perception network integration. In terms of smart applications, they were user-centric and focused on business collaboration and system integration. The business collaboration involved data integration and the cooperation of urban government departments. Furthermore, business collaboration has always been integrated with information sharing, which further improved Shanghai’s operational safety level, public service supply capacity, and resource utilization. The cross-department system integration promoted an intelligent level of urban management, enhanced Shanghai’s ability to operate safely, and provided more convenient services for the citizens.
In the continuous deepening phase, the content of information perception included two aspects. One was to incorporate food information perception into the whole process of food safety management and to realize food safety information query and traceability through the smart food supervision network. The other aspect was to integrate information perception with government resources and business processes to achieve urban management collaboration, such as building a public transport information perception network. In terms of smart applications, they consisted of smart life, smart economy, smart urban management, smart government, and new landmarks of smart cities. Smart life further expanded the coverage of vulnerable groups, such as by implementing a smart card project for the disabled and developing an accessible network service environment for the elderly. The smart economy is aimed at high-end industrial development and focused on Internet finance, shipping, business, intelligent manufacturing, and smart enterprises. Smart urban management’s goal was to improve Shanghai’s urban functions and achieve reliable urban operations. Shanghai’s smart government included e-government integration, open data, service channels, and a public credit information service platform. The new landmarks of smart Shanghai focused on smart communities, smart villages, smart business districts, smart parks, and smart new towns [59], aiming to carry out pilot innovation and demonstration applications.
In the efficiency improvement phase, information perception was not only applied in urban pipe gallery and lighting engineering but also involved in the monitoring of water management, adding to the field of smart governance. The smart applications in this phase paid more attention to creating Shanghai’s characteristics. Among the smart applications, smart life was characterized by universality, which involved transportation, health, education, culture, tourism, employment, and meteorology. The smart economy included sharing economies, mobile application services, and information consumption. Smart governance was proposed in the stage, which was an upgrade from smart urban management in the previous stage. Smart governance emphasizes social coordination and comprehensive governance through the grid and intelligent management. The smart government focused on the integration of government services with social governance and urban management and innovated a management model by building a big data center. Smart landmarks at this stage still carried out the application of the regional “demonstration brands” for communities and villages [60].

4.2.4. Security Assurance System

The security assurance system was mainly applied to protect the safety of information and networks. As a key component of smart city development, the system needed to gradually improve the top-level design, coordination mechanism, and standard specification. Additionally, technical prevention ability, management institutions, and security education should be strengthened.
In the exploratory promotion phase, a regional security assurance system was explored so as to realize the overall control of information security. Based on public infrastructure, the system improved the detection capability and enhanced the assurance ability through information security evaluation. The system’s specific implementation was to strengthen the comprehensive supervision of information security, improve cyberspace governance capacity, and enhance public awareness of information security.
A network security system for Shanghai’s smart city development was strengthened in the continuous deepening stage and enhanced the ability to prevent technical risks, especially through protecting basic networks, important sites, and control systems. Based on the network security infrastructure, the system’s protective capability was further enhanced by the emergency platform, evaluation and certification, network trust system, and disaster backup platform. In addition, the public security awareness and social network environment should also be considered during the system’s implementation.
In the efficiency improvement phase, Shanghai emphasized the comprehensive system of information and network security, aiming to create a good ecology for the megacity and form a collaborative mechanism for all stakeholders. Compared with the previous stage, this phase paid more attention to enhancing network security resilience and management. Moreover, risk assessment and monitoring mechanisms for network security were further innovated [26]. Under the construction of network and information security systems, this stage focused on the openness, processing, and utilization of public and social data. Therefore, under the premise of security and privacy protection [61], Shanghai continually added value to the public services of data resources.

5. Discussion and Implications

The evolution of Shanghai’s smart city development was explored in three phases, namely exploratory promotion (2011–2013), continuous deepening (2014–2017), and an efficiency improvement phase (2018–2021). Based on the divided phases, the development contents were deconstructed from information infrastructure, information technology and industrial development, information perception and smart applications, and a security assurance system. Furthermore, a conceptual framework of Shanghai’s smart city development was constructed and shown in Figure 2 by integrating the phases and contents.
As presented in Figure 2, the essential supporting systems for Shanghai’s smart city development were information infrastructure, information technology and industrial development, and network security systems. On the basis of the above analyses, the implications of Shanghai’s smart city development were further summarized from five aspects, including the development pathway, government’s role, the financing channel, ICT-driven development, and the people-oriented concept.

5.1. Development Pathway

The pathway of Shanghai’s smart city development was conducted along the phases of exploratory promotion, continuous deepening, and efficiency improvement. Although Shanghai’s development emphases transformed in different phases, the pathway was obviously continuous. Furthermore, the contents involved four aspects: information infrastructure, information technology and industrial development, information perception and smart applications, and a security assurance system.
The information infrastructure’s efficiency and service level have been continuously improved. From 2018 to 2020, Shanghai’s fixed broadband user perception rates were 28.01 megabits/s, 41.95 megabits/s, and 50.32 megabit/s, respectively. Moreover, Shanghai was the first city to exceeded 50 megabit/s in China [46,62,63]. In terms of the number of FTTH users, actual users amounted to 3.6 million in 2013 [64]. In 2018, Shanghai’s FTTH number could cover 8.03 million households, and the actual FTTH users reached 6.44 million [65]. In 2021, Shanghai’s gigabit optical network access capacity could cover 9.61 million households, and the 5G users reached 10.2841 million [66].
For information technology and industrial development, all phases paid attention to the R&D and application of crucial technologies, such as cloud computing and IoT. In 2013 and 2018, the added values of Shanghai’s information industry were CNY 221.609 billion and CNY 350.830 billion, respectively [64,65]. In 2021, the total output value of the new-generation information technology industry above the scale was CNY 542.221 billion.
Shanghai’s practice of information perception and smart applications was based on demand orientation, information infrastructure, and information technology integration. Moreover, the innovative development of Shanghai’s smart applications, mainly including smart life, smart economy, smart governance, smart government, and smart landmarks, was continuously promoted. Specifically, Shanghai’s smart application indices from 2018 to 2020 were 110.01, 112.73, and 113.12, respectively, showing an increasing trend year by year [46,62,63].
In terms of the security assurance system, it has experienced information security in the exploratory promotion phase, network security in the continuous deepening phase, and comprehensive security of information and network in the efficiency improvement phase. In addition, the secure utilization of public and open data has received increasing attention. Especially in the first three quarters of 2018 and 2019, and from January to October in 2020, the numbers of high-risk vulnerabilities in network security were 227, 179, and 82, respectively, and the numbers of security incidents were 3, 19, and 13, respectively [46,62,63]. Therefore, the trend of network vulnerability and security incidents mainly declined year by year.

5.2. Government’s Role

In the exploratory promotion phase, the government focused on planning smart cities and establishing policies and standards for the follow-up development. Additionally, a fair and orderly market environment for enterprises to participate in smart city development was considered by the government. The government also created a viable atmosphere for enterprises, social organizations, and citizens to support and participate in Shanghai’s smart city development through publicity activities, forums, and exhibitions.
In the continuous deepening stage, the government’s guiding role was more obvious through formulating norms and promoting smart city development. Furthermore, a government-led development mode with the participation of enterprises and citizens has gradually been formed. In terms of norm formulation, it mainly included government information sharing, public data opening, technological application, and information security for Shanghai’s smart city development. With respect to the promotion of Shanghai’s smart city, it covered the planning of smart health care for the elderly, smart government, and smart villages. Moreover, the promotion content included information infrastructure, informatization of public services, smart tourism, food safety, and smart community.
In the efficiency improvement phase, the government further strengthened the top-level design role in Shanghai’s smart city development, highlighted the core contents of strategic planning, and paid more attention to forward-looking and systematic implementation. In terms of policy formulation, the government focused on policies that could promote the sustainability of Shanghai’s smart city development and provided more effective support for industrial development. The government further regulated the specific implementation of smart city development projects and connected them with other related policies. Moreover, in order to better satisfy the rapidly growing demand from citizens, the government and enterprises needed to further carry out deep integration and innovation.

5.3. Financing Channel

The projects concerning Shanghai’s smart city development were promoted by means of pilot applications, typical demonstrations, and extensive implementation. During the process of project implementation, capital investment and financing channels were crucial to success. During the exploratory promotion phase, Shanghai increased the government’s funding for smart city development projects. In 2013, the “Decree for the Administration of Special Funds for Informatization Development in Shanghai” was issued to set up special funds and continuously provide financial support for Shanghai’s smart city development. In addition, through the innovation of the government’s supporting funds, social capital was further attracted to participate in the development. In the continuous deepening stage, the leverage of fiscal and taxation policies was reinforced, and the mode of joint development between the government and enterprises was further explored. In the efficiency improvement phase, Shanghai clearly proposed the application of the public-private partnership (PPP) model in smart city development and continued to fully utilize the government’s special funds and taxation policies so as to enhance the effectiveness of smart city development and operation.

5.4. ICT-Driven Development

Shanghai’s smart city development was ICT-driven and emphasized the technologies’ innovation and application. The main technologies, such as cloud computing and IoT, were taken as the focuses of innovation and development at different stages. In addition, other core technologies and key hardware devices were underscored by independent R&D. In the stage of exploratory promotion, Shanghai aimed to form production solutions and applications, which were implemented by the enterprises’ independent development. In the continuous deepening stage, the application boundary of information technologies was further expanded to more extensive fields in the city. Moreover, the key technologies’ breakthroughs and projects’ demonstration were also stressed. In the efficiency improvement phase, Shanghai integrated the information technologies’ development with urban governance, intelligent equipment, and services for the elderly. Specifically, the application of AI in Shanghai’s megacity operation and management is promising, and the core role and potential benefits of AI in smart cities were also stated by Allam and Dhunny [67]. In addition to being a critical technology for solving urban challenges, the AI’s critical role was also elaborated by Bokhari and Myeong [68].

5.5. People-Oriented Concept

Shanghai advocated a people-oriented concept, paid more attention to special populations, and gradually reduced the digital divide. In the exploratory promotion stage, Shanghai promoted the construction of community service information platforms and targeted the sick, elderly, and disabled as key users. In the continuous deepening stage, Shanghai took smart care of the elderly and enhanced the services’ supply capacity and quality for them by utilizing information platforms and intelligent facilities. Additionally, meteorological services for the elderly, children, and patients could be provided by the construction of smart meteorology. In the efficiency improvement phase, Shanghai continued to explore new models of smart care for the elderly and further developed barrier-free services for the disabled. Moreover, the smart certification for the disabled was implemented so as to improve and expand service functions, including recovery, employment, mobility, and tourism.

6. Conclusions and Limitations

This paper took Shanghai as a mega-city case to conduct a longitudinal study on its smart city development practice. Based on the key events of Shanghai’s smart city development, its evolutionary process over the past eleven years was divided into three phases, namely exploratory promotion, continuous deepening, and efficiency improvement. Subsequently, the practice contents of Shanghai’s smart city development were further deconstructed from four aspects: information infrastructure, information technology and industrial development, information perception and smart applications, and a security assurance system. Based on the above analyses, the conclusions were obtained as follows. Firstly, the construction of Shanghai’s information infrastructure focused on broadband cities, wireless cities, and functional service-oriented information infrastructure. The efficiency and service level of the information infrastructure were upgraded and improved year by year. Particularly, in 2020, Shanghai became the first city to build a “double Gigabit broadband city”. Secondly, in terms of information technology and industrial development, Shanghai’s smart city development emphasized the independent R&D of new-generation information technologies and related core equipment. In addition, Shanghai also focused on the demand-oriented application of information technologies. The industrial development continuously enhanced the industrialization ability of smart city development and also facilitated the coordinated development with other industries. Thirdly, information perception has been experienced in smart water management, food information perception, urban pipe galleries, lighting engineering, and smart governance. Smart applications took business collaboration and system integration as their focuses, mainly consisting of smart life, smart economy, smart governance, smart government, and smart landmarks. Finally, for Shanghai’s smart city development, the emphasis on a security assurance system transformed from information security, network security, and the comprehensive security of information and network.
The conceptual framework of Shanghai’s smart city development was obtained by combining the phases with the contents. According to the framework, the beneficial implications of Shanghai’s smart city development were summarized in five aspects. Firstly, the development pathway has experienced the exploratory promotion, continuous deepening, and efficiency improvement phases. Although the practice content had different emphases at the above stages, the pathway was obviously evolutionary and consistent. Hence, a city’s evolutionary development pathway should closely relate to its urban orientation, characteristics, and future planning strategy. Secondly, the government played a guiding and leading role in promoting Shanghai’s smart city development. The government not only formulated strategic plans, policies, and standards but also facilitated top-level design and overall implementation. In addition, it is necessary for a city to construct a government-oriented participation mechanism with other stakeholders, such as academic institutions, enterprises, and citizens. The projects for developing Shanghai’s smart city needed to increase financing channels. In addition to fully utilizing the government’s special funds and taxation policies, the PPP model was applied to improve the projects’ construction and operation efficiency. For a city to promote smart city development, adequate investment is a driving force. The city also needs to continuously expand sources of investment and pay attention to the costs and benefits of subsequent operations. The ICT-driven development emphasized technological innovation and integrated application, which were mainly implemented by enterprises. A solution for urban challenges cannot be separated from ICTs’ innovation and integration; moreover, technological reliability, robustness, efficiency, and security should be noted. The people-oriented concept in Shanghai’s smart city development notably emphasized the elderly, disabled, and sick. Through the construction of special projects and service model innovation, Shanghai highlighted digital inclusion and gradually reduced the digital divide.
Although this paper made noticeable contributions by conducting a case study on Shanghai’s smart city development, it still had some limitations that should be considered for future research. First, the data used in this paper was mainly from previous publications. In future research, obtaining primary data by on-site investigations, in-depth interviews, and telephone surveys is necessary. Second, this paper chose Shanghai as a single case. Although the experience and implications from the case could provide valuable recommendations for other cities and regions, the applicability and evolutionary pathway should be further investigated. Hence, conducting multi-case and comparative studies is expected in future research. Third, in terms of the security assurance system, reliability with redundancy and the probability of technological failures should be noted. A mathematical study needs to shed light on these questions in the future. Finally, due to adopting the qualitative method in this paper, the quantitative evaluation of Shanghai’s smart city development needs to be conducted in the future, especially to assess the effect of Shanghai’s smart city development and the effectiveness of solving urban problems. Future studies are also expected to employ other methods to figure out other challenges and measures to further develop smart megacities.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, Q.C.; methodology, Q.C.; software, Q.C. and R.C.; validation, Q.C., X.H. and G.W.; formal analysis, Q.C.; investigation, R.C. and R.W.; writing—original draft preparation, Q.C.; writing—review and editing, Q.C. and X.H.; supervision, G.W. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Not applicable.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

  1. Camero, A.; Alba, E. Smart City and information technology: A review. Cities 2019, 93, 84–94. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  2. Lim, Y.; Edelenbos, J.; Gianoli, A. Identifying the results of smart city development: Findings from systematic literature review. Cities 2019, 95, 102397. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  3. Jiang, H.; Jiang, P.; Wang, D.; Wu, J. Can smart city construction facilitate green total factor productivity? A quasi-natural experiment based on China’s pilot smart city. Sustain. Cities Soc. 2021, 69, 102809. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  4. Guo, Q.; Wang, Y.; Dong, X. Effects of smart city construction on energy saving and CO2 emission reduction: Evidence from China. Appl. Energy 2022, 313, 118879. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  5. Cui, H.; Cao, Y. Do smart cities have lower particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5)? Evidence from China. Sustain. Cities Soc. 2022, 86, 104082. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  6. Huang, C.; Yang, J.; Lu, H.; Huang, H.; Yu, L. Green spaces as an indicator of urban health: Evaluating its changes in 28 mega-cities. Remote Sens. 2017, 9, 1266. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  7. Liu, Z.; Liu, S. Polycentric development and the role of urban polycentric planning in China’s mega cities: An examination of Beijing’s metropolitan area. Sustainability 2018, 10, 1588. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  8. Yan, J.; Liu, J.; Tseng, F. An evaluation system based on the self-organizing system framework of smart cities: A case study of smart transportation systems in China. Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change 2020, 153, 119371. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  9. Wu, Z.; Jiang, M.; Li, H.; Zhang, X. Mapping the knowledge domain of smart city development to urban sustainability: A scientometric study. J. Urban Technol. 2021, 28, 29–53. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  10. Caragliu, A.; Bo, C.D.; Nijkamp, P. Smart cities in Europe. J. Urban Technol. 2011, 18, 65–82. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  11. Goodman, N.; Zwick, A.; Spicer, Z.; Carlsen, N. Public engagement in smart city development: Lessons from communities in Canada’s smart city challenge. Can. Geogr. 2020, 64, 416–432. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  12. Myeong, S.; Jung, Y.; Lee, E. A study on determinant factors in smart city development: An analytic hierarchy process analysis. Sustainability 2018, 10, 2606. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  13. Oke, A.E.; Aghimien, D.; Aigbavboa, C.; Akinradewo, O. Appraisal of the drivers of smart city development in South Africa. Constr. Econ. Build. 2020, 20, 109–126. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  14. Rana, N.P.; Luthra, S.; Mangla, S.K.; Islam, R.; Roderick, S.; Dwivedi, Y.K. Barriers to the development of smart cities in Indian context. Inf. Syst. Front. 2019, 21, 503–525. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  15. Noori, N.; Hoppe, T.; de Jong, M. Classifying pathways for smart city development: Comparing design, governance and implementation in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4030. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  16. Su, L.; Fan, J.; Fu, L. Exploration of smart city construction under new urbanization: A case study of Jinzhou-Huludao coastal area. Sustain. Comput. Inform. Syst. 2020, 27, 100403. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  17. Mora, L.; Deakin, M.; Reid, A. Strategic principles for smart city development: A multiple case study analysis of European best practices. Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change 2019, 142, 70–97. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  18. Baraniewicz-Kotasińska, S. The Scandinavian third way as a proposal for sustainable smart city development—A case study of Aarhus city. Sustainability 2022, 14, 3495. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  19. Zhang, D.; Pee, L.G.; Pan, S.L.; Cui, L. Big data analytics, resource orchestration, and digital sustainability: A case study of smart city development. Gov. Inf. Q. 2022, 39, 101626. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  20. Joss, S.; Sengers, F.; Schraven, D.; Caprotti, F.; Dayot, Y. The smart city as global discourse: Storylines and critical junctures across 27 cities. J. Urban Technol. 2019, 26, 3–34. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  21. Kim, S.-C.; Hong, P.; Lee, T.; Lee, A.; Park, S.-H. Determining strategic priorities for smart city development: Case studies of south Korean and international smart cities. Sustainability 2022, 14, 10001. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  22. Shanghai’s 2011–2013 Action Plan for Promoting Smart City Development. Available online: http://sheitc.sh.gov.cn/szfgh/20110907/0020-652766.html (accessed on 17 December 2022).
  23. Shanghai’s 3-year Action Plan for Promoting Smart City Development (2014–2016). Available online: http://sheitc.sh.gov.cn/zxgh/20141217/0020-665205.html (accessed on 17 December 2022).
  24. Notice of Shanghai’s 13th Five-Year Plan for Promoting Smart City Development. Available online: https://www.shanghai.gov.cn/nw41166/20200823/0001-41166_50224.html (accessed on 17 December 2022).
  25. Notice of Shanghai’s Implementing Advice on Promoting the Development of New Generation of Artificial Intelligence. Available online: https://www.shanghai.gov.cn/nw42639/20200823/0001-42639_54242.html (accessed on 17 December 2022).
  26. Several Suggestions on Further Accelerating Smart City Development of Shanghai. Available online: https://www.shanghai.gov.cn/nw44142/20200824/0001-44142_63566.html (accessed on 17 December 2022).
  27. Shanghai’s 14th Five-Year Plan for Building a Globally Influential Science and Technology Innovation Center. Available online: https://www.shanghai.gov.cn/nw12344/20210928/5020e5fdf5ac4c6fb4b219da6bb4b889.html (accessed on 17 December 2022).
  28. Pare, G. Investigating information systems with positivist case study research. Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst. 2004, 13, 233–264. [Google Scholar]
  29. Wang, A.; Zhang, A.; Chan, E.H.W.; Shi, W.; Zhou, X.; Liu, Z. A Review of Human Mobility Research Based on Big Data and Its Implication for Smart City Development. ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2021, 10, 13. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  30. Liu, Z.; Wang, A.; Weber, K.; Chan, E.H.W.; Shi, W. Categorisation of cultural tourism attractions by tourist preference using location-based social network data: The case of Central, Hong Kong. Tour. Manag. 2022, 90, 104488. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  31. Wang, M.; Zhang, F.; Wu, F. Governing urban redevelopment: A case study of Yongqingfang in Guangzhou, China. Cities 2022, 120, 103420. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  32. Shanghai Municipal People’s Government. Available online: https://www.shanghai.gov.cn/ (accessed on 15 January 2022).
  33. Pudong Times. Available online: http://www.pdtimes.com.cn/html/2011-05/13/content_1_1.htm (accessed on 17 December 2022).
  34. Govmade. Available online: https://www.govmade.com/presentation/ (accessed on 17 December 2022).
  35. Jing’an District People’s Government. Available online: https://www.jingan.gov.cn/rmtzx/003001/20191128/b3d056e5-c37c-4005-a0c7-941d8122574f.html (accessed on 17 December 2022).
  36. The codes of how Shanghai won the World Smart City Award from 350 applicants in 48 countries and regions. Available online: https://www.shanghai.gov.cn/nw4411/20201120/5a86bd4487894887896d21e51292ea00.html (accessed on 17 December 2022).
  37. Huangpu District won the “2021 China Leading Smart City” award. Available online: http://dt.sheitc.sh.gov.cn/gqdt/1711.jhtml (accessed on 17 December 2022).
  38. Shanghai Basic Facts. Available online: https://www.shanghai.gov.cn/nw2318/index.html (accessed on 15 April 2022).
  39. China Economic Net. Available online: http://district.ce.cn/newarea/roll/201309/02/t20130902_24707939.shtml (accessed on 16 January 2022).
  40. Communications Weekly. Available online: http://www.ccidcom.com/wuxian/20120809/kL8Ck7lUU3nQHKuR.html (accessed on 27 January 2022).
  41. Shanghai’s 2013 Statistical Bulletin of Informatization. Available online: https://app.sheitc.sh.gov.cn/xxfw/663660.htm (accessed on 29 January 2022).
  42. Shanghai Surveying and Mapping Institute. Available online: https://www.shsmi.cn/ztzlchy/ggfwptchy/ptxxchy/11286.htm (accessed on 2 February 2022).
  43. China Industry News. Available online: http://dzb.cinn.cn/shtml/zggyb/20170525/86405.shtml (accessed on 5 February 2022).
  44. To build a leading Internet Plus benchmark city in the Asia-Pacific region. Available online: http://whb.cn/zhuzhan/kandian/20161021/73164.html (accessed on 8 February 2022).
  45. Science and Technology Daily. Available online: http://digitalpaper.stdaily.com/http_www.kjrb.com/kjrb/html/2020-11/13/node_3.htm (accessed on 13 February 2022).
  46. Annual Assessment Report on the Smart City of Shanghai (2020). Available online: http://www.sheitc.sh.gov.cn/cmsres/23/2383c38acd2a459fa356129f1038bbe6/d7d7431a785a9081acdbfe7eebda457e.pdf (accessed on 17 February 2022).
  47. Jiefang Daily. Available online: https://www.jfdaily.com/staticsg/res/html/journal/detail.html?date=2021-04-24&id=312841&page=01 (accessed on 19 February 2022).
  48. The State Council of the People’s Republic of China. Available online: http://www.gov.cn//xinwen/2016-11/20/content_5134916.htm (accessed on 19 February 2022).
  49. Hexun Network. Available online: http://news.hexun.com/2020-02-24/200384110.html (accessed on 23 February 2022).
  50. Shanghai promotes the new-type smart city development by evaluation and keeping improving. Available online: http://www.chinajsb.cn/html/201901/14/1199.html (accessed on 22 February 2022).
  51. Shanghai is speeding up smart city development to promote urban management to a new level. Available online: http://www.chinajsb.cn/html/202002/25/8261.html (accessed on 15 March 2022).
  52. Economic Daily. Available online: http://paper.ce.cn/jjrb/html/2014-11/07/content_220975.htm (accessed on 6 April 2022).
  53. Information office of Shanghai Municipality. Available online: https://www.shio.gov.cn/TrueCMS/shxwbgs/2018n_1y/content/a41f0fa2-37ad-46e9-be2c-aebed55b73b9.html (accessed on 9 April 2022).
  54. China Electronics News. Available online: http://www.cena.com.cn/infocon/20141222/60374.html (accessed on 11 April 2022).
  55. Shanghai Securities News. Available online: https://news.cnstock.com/news,bwkx-202110-4773353.htm (accessed on 11 April 2022).
  56. Shanghai Science and Technology. Available online: https://www.shkjb.com/paper/animate.html (accessed on 12 April 2022).
  57. Ai Shanghai, take the lead. Available online: https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1742719021866117254&wfr=spider&for=pc (accessed on 13 April 2022).
  58. RfidWorld. Available online: http://news.rfidworld.com.cn/2011_09/bb3582137189c564.html (accessed on 15 April 2022).
  59. Shanghai Municipal Commission of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Available online: http://nyncw.sh.gov.cn/mtbd/20180705/0009-40471.html (accessed on 17 April 2022).
  60. Notice of the application of Shanghai Informatization Development Special Fund (2020). Available online: http://sheitc.sh.gov.cn/zxzjtzgg/20200303/0020-685133.html (accessed on 19 April 2022).
  61. Coordinate Development Layout, Improve the Quality of Development, the Development of Smart Cities in Many Places Has Reached a New Level. Available online: http://www.chinajsb.cn/html/202012/08/15953.html (accessed on 22 April 2022).
  62. Annual Assessment Report on the Smart City of Shanghai (2018). Available online: http://app.sheitc.sh.gov.cn/res_base/sheitc_gov_cn_www/upload/article/file/2019_1/1_11/i7t5jqrsk59o.pdf (accessed on 22 April 2022).
  63. Annual Assessment report on the smart city of Shanghai (2019). Available online: http://sheitc.sh.gov.cn/xxfw/20200520/2890afb7b1cd488d92f5cb7da6cacce3.html (accessed on 23 April 2022).
  64. Shanghai Bureau of Statistics. Available online: http://tjj.sh.gov.cn/tjgb/20140225/0014-267416.html (accessed on 25 April 2022).
  65. Allam, Z.; Dhunny, Z.A. On big data, artificial intelligence and smart cities. Cities 2019, 89, 80–91. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  66. Bokhari, S.A.A.; Myeong, S. Use of Artificial Intelligence in Smart Cities for Smart Decision-Making: A Social Innovation Perspective. Sustainability 2022, 14, 620. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  67. Shanghai’s 2016 Statistical Bulletin of National Economic and Social Development. Available online: http://tjj.sh.gov.cn/tjgb/20170302/0014-293816.html (accessed on 26 April 2022).
  68. Shanghai’s 2020 Statistical Bulletin of National Economic and Social Development. Available online: http://tjj.sh.gov.cn/tjgb/20210317/234a1637a3974c3db0cc47a37a3c324f.html (accessed on 26 April 2022).
Sustainability 15 01591 g001 550
Figure 1. Landmarks of Shanghai’s smart city development.
Figure 1. Landmarks of Shanghai’s smart city development.
Sustainability 15 01591 g001
Sustainability 15 01591 g002 550
Figure 2. Conceptual framework of Shanghai’s smart city development.
Figure 2. Conceptual framework of Shanghai’s smart city development.
Sustainability 15 01591 g002
Table
Table 1. Typical events of Shanghai’s smart city development.
Table 1. Typical events of Shanghai’s smart city development.
YearTypical EventsThe Main InfluenceReferences
2011Smart City Index System 1.0 was released by the Shanghai Pudong Smart City Development Institute.It is an earlier index system for smart city evaluation in China.Pudong Times [33]
2011–2020Shanghai ranked high in the annual “report on the development level of China’s smart cities”.Shanghai continued to be high-ranking in the evaluation of smart city development during these ten years.Govmade [34]
2019Jing ’a District, Shanghai, won the “Excellent City Management Award” at the 2019 Smart City Expo World Congress—Greater China Area.Shanghai is a benchmark city of world smart cities, and its city management has been recognized internationally.Jing’an District People’s Government [35]
2020Shanghai won the “World Smart City Award”.It is the first city in China to win this award at the Smart City Expo World Congress.Shanghai Municipal People’s Government [36]
2021Huangpu District, Shanghai, won the ‘Innovation Recovery Award’ at the 2021 Smart City Expo World Congress—Greater China Area.It provides Huangpu’s solution scheme for the urban management of a smart megacity.Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization [37]
Table
Table 2. The materials and sources.
Table 2. The materials and sources.
MaterialsSources
Policy documents (21 pieces) and reports (14 pieces)Government’s website
Articles (80)Web of Science
Newspapers (252), Articles (74), and Dissertation (26) CNKI
News reports (120) and exclusive interviews (2)Internet materials
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Cui, Q.; Chen, R.; Wei, R.; Hu, X.; Wang, G. Smart Mega-City Development in Practice: A Case of Shanghai, China. Sustainability 2023, 15, 1591. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021591

AMA Style

Cui Q, Chen R, Wei R, Hu X, Wang G. Smart Mega-City Development in Practice: A Case of Shanghai, China. Sustainability. 2023; 15(2):1591. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021591

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cui, Qinghong, Run Chen, Ruirui Wei, Xiancun Hu, and Guangbin Wang. 2023. "Smart Mega-City Development in Practice: A Case of Shanghai, China" Sustainability 15, no. 2: 1591. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021591

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop