Understanding smart cities as a glocal strategy: A comparison between Italy and China

Abstract Smart city can be seen as a glocal phenomenon, as it is characterised by both global and local aspects. Smart cities are a global phenomenon because they spread all over the world and emerge with similar features and interdependencies at the global level. In the meantime, smart cities are a local phenomenon, because each city is unique, has different problems and should address them with specific solutions. The aim of this work is to better understand smart cities as a glocal phenomenon, considering their universal features together with the local aspects influencing their implementation. Through a research based on a Qualitative Data Analysis, the present work suggests a novel way to examine the smart city, to support a better understanding of this glocal trend promising enormous benefits for citizens and growing revenues in all five continents, but not equally distributed. In particular, the paper analyses and compares Italy and China to verify that smart city is a glocal urban strategy, depending both from global, standard drivers and local contingencies. The methodology and results can be generalised to other cities and countries.