Building Climate Resilience in Smart Cities Using Open Data Services

Abstract

Climate change and its consequences are among modern societies' most critical challenges. To that end, cities have focused on using information technology in their climate mitigation efforts in smart cities. Considering the magnitude of the problem and its impact on our societies, the need for building climate-resilient smart cities is crucial. In this study, we aim to understand how smart cities can achieve climate resilience. Conducting an exploratory field study and using the urban climate resilience framework as a theoretical lens, we suggest that smart cities can leverage the potential of open data and citizen engagement to reach climate resilience. In particular, our results show that building climate-resilient cities requires structural changes in citizen engagement processes and climate considerations. To that end, open data services and tools can be used to improve citizen engagement processes and develop more sustainable smart city solutions.