This book is the first attempt to explore the use and application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and related smart technologies in cities and for the sole purpose of reaching positive peace. The everyday usage of digital technologies in cities encourages us to study the benefits, co-benefits, disadvantages, and threats of ICT application in cities and urban environments. The continuous growth of digital technologies and their growing demand in everyday urban practices and systems are already known to scholars, practitioners, and policy-makers. However, this book explores whether or not such applications and usage help us reaching positive peace. This approach is novel in the field of urban studies, allowing us to identify and highlight best practices, successes, and failures of ICT application to meet positive peace pillars. The scope of the book highlights our focus on positive peace and its eight pillars, mainly how they are meant to be achieved in cities and urban areas. With an analytical view on the topic, we aim to reflect on the systematic features of urban systems, using positive peace pillars as the primary targets. We believe ICT application and usage in cities could be more directive and beneficial to reach peace and prosperity to achieve such a goal. Therefore, this book provides a holistic guideline and coverage of ICT use for positive peace pathways and peace-building practices. We hope the findings of the book help researchers and policy-makers to come up with novel and integrated strategies, ensuring that our everyday usage of digital technologies, ICT, and smart tools, are more meaningful and people-oriented.
Author(s): Ali Cheshmehzangi
Series: Urban Sustainability
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 257
City: Singapore
Preface
Acknowledgements
About This Book
Contents
About the Author
1 The Application of ICT and Smart Technologies in Cities and Communities: An Overview
1.1 An Overview of ICT and Smart Technologies in the Built Environment
1.2 ICT and Smart Technologies Applications in Cities
1.3 Smart City: A Concept Reborn from ‘Digital City’?
1.3.1 From Smart Thinking to Smart Cities
1.3.2 The Integration of ICT and Smart Technologies in Urban Thinking
1.4 The Discourse About ICT Use for Peacebuilding in Cities
References
2 The Role of ICT and Smartness for Peace-Building Processes and Practices
2.1 A Brief Insight: ICT and Smartness for Peace-Building Processes and Practices
2.2 A Brief Introduction to ‘Positive Peace Pillars’
2.3 ICT and Smart Technologies for Peace-Building Practice and Positive Peace
2.3.1 How ICT and Smart Technologies Could Help Reaching Positive Peace?
2.3.2 How ICT Integration in Cities Could Help Peacebuilding Practices?
2.4 Why ICT is Useful for Reaching Positive Peace in Cities?
2.5 The Structure of the Book
References
3 ICT for a Well-Functioning Government in Cities: Towards Integrated Information Platforms for E-Government and E-Transformation
3.1 Introduction to ‘Well-Functioning Government’ from the Positive Peace Perspective
3.1.1 Well-Functioning Government in the Context of Cities and Communities
3.1.2 ICT Applications and Services for Well-Functioning Government
3.2 SWOT Analysis of ICT for Well-Functioning Government in Cities
3.3 Introduction to Case Studies
3.3.1 ICT for Citizens Connect (and Now Bos:311) in Boston, USA
3.3.2 ICT for the Republic of Moldova’s GeT Project
3.3.3 Lessons Learnt from Case Studies
3.4 Progress to Date for ICT Applications for a Well-Functioning Government
3.5 Future Opportunities and Directions for ICT Application and Reaching a Well-Functioning Government in Cities
References
4 ICT for Equitable Distribution of Resources: Exploring Examples of Online Healthcare Services and Online Education Platforms
4.1 Introduction to Equitable Distribution of Resource from the Positive Peace Perspective
4.1.1 Equitable Distribution of Resources in the Context of Cities and Communities
4.1.2 ICT Applications/Services for Equitable Distribution of Resources
4.2 SWOT Analysis of ICT for Equitable Distribution of Resources in Cities
4.3 Introduction to Case Studies
4.3.1 Online Medical Services at the University Hospital Zürich, Switzerland
4.3.2 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in Major African Capital Cities
4.3.3 Lessons Learnt from Case Studies
4.4 Future Opportunities and Directions for ICT Application and Reaching Peace in Cities
References
5 ICT for the Free Flow of Information in Cities: Combatting the Digital Divide and Promoting Information Exchange in Digital Economy
5.1 Introduction to Free Flow of Information from the Positive Peace Perspective
5.1.1 Free Flow of Information in the Context of Cities and Communities
5.2 ICT Services and Applications for FFI
5.2.1 Traditional Services: Radio and Television
5.2.2 Advanced Services: Online Media
5.2.3 ICT Applications for Communities
5.3 SWOT Analysis of ICT for Free Flow of Information in Cities
5.4 Introduction to Case Studies
5.4.1 ICT for FixMyStreet.com Project in Multiple UK Cities
5.4.2 ICT for FFI in Healthcare Services in Suva, Fiji
5.4.3 Lessons Learnt from the Case Study Examples
5.5 Progress to Date for ICT Applications for FFI
5.6 Future Opportunities and Directions for ICT Application and Reaching FFI in Cities
References
6 ICT for Good Relations with Neighbours in Cities: Towards Productivity, Knowledge Application, and Community Building
6.1 Introduction to Good Relations with Neighbours from the Positive Peace Perspective
6.1.1 Good Relations with Neighbours in the Context of Cities and Communities
6.1.2 Applications of ICT for Good Relations with Neighbours
6.2 SWOT Analysis of ICT for Good Relations with Neighbours in Cities
6.2.1 Strengths
6.2.2 Weaknesses
6.2.3 Opportunities
6.2.4 Threats
6.3 Introduction to Case Studies
6.3.1 ICT for Application in the Smart City Projects in the European Community: Examples of Multiple Projects
6.3.2 ICT for Application in the Elderly Community in Nanjing, China
6.3.3 Lessons Learnt from Case Studies
6.4 Progress to Date for ICT Applications for Good Relation of Neighbours
6.5 Future Opportunities and Directions for ICT Application and Reaching Good Relations with Neighbours in Cities
References
7 ICT for High Levels of Human Capital in Cities: A Shift Towards E-Government and Knowledge-Driven Economies
7.1 High Levels of Human Capital from the Positive Peace Perspective
7.1.1 Definition and Measurements of Human Capital
7.1.2 High Levels of Human Capital in the Context of Cities and Communities
7.2 SWOT Analysis of ICT for Human Capital
7.3 Introduction to Case Studies
7.3.1 ICT for High Levels of Human Capital in Andalusia, Spain
7.3.2 ICT for High Levels of Human Capital in Cyberjaya, Malaysia
7.4 Future Opportunities and Directions for ICT and High Levels of Human Capital in Cities
References
8 ICT for Acceptance of the Rights of Others in Cities: Promoting Social Justice, Inclusivity, and Stability Through the Use of Digital Technologies
8.1 Acceptance of the Right of Others from the Positive Peace Perspective
8.1.1 Definition of Human Rights and Acceptance of the Rights of Others
8.1.2 Acceptance of the Rights of Others in the Context of Cities and Communities
8.1.3 Applications/Services of ICT for Acceptance of the Rights of Others
8.2 SWOT Analysis of ICT for Acceptance of the Rights of Others in Cities
8.3 Introduction to Case Studies
8.3.1 ICT for Acceptance of the Rights of Others in Melbourne, Australia
8.3.2 ICT for Acceptance of the Rights of Others in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
8.3.3 Lessons Learnt from Case Studies
8.4 Future Opportunities and Directions for ICT Application and Reaching ARO in Cities
References
9 ICT for Low Levels of Corruption in Cities: From ICT Diffusion to Sustainable Justice and Achieving just Communities
9.1 Low Levels of Corruption from the Positive Peace Perspective
9.1.1 Definition and Measurements of Corruption
9.1.2 Low Levels of Corruption in the Context of Cities and Communities
9.2 Applications/Services of ICT for the Low Level of Corruption
9.3 SWOT Analysis of ICT and Low Levels of Corruption in Cities
9.4 Introduction to Case Studies
9.4.1 ICT for Low Level of Corruption in Seoul, South Korea
9.4.2 ICT for Low Level of Corruption in Cape Town, South Africa
9.4.3 Lessons Learnt from Case Studies
9.5 Progress to Date for ICT Applications for Low Level of Corruptions
References
10 ICT for a Sound Business Environment in Cities: Opportunities Through Digital Technologies and Digital Transformations
10.1 Sound Business Environment (SBE) from the Positive Peace Perspective
10.1.1 Definition of the Sound Business Environment
10.1.2 Sound Business Environment in the Context of Cities and Communities
10.2 ICT Applications and Services for the Sound Business Environment
10.2.1 SWOT Analysis of ICT for the Sound Business Environment in Cities
10.3 Introduction to Case Studies
10.3.1 ICT for Business Competitiveness and Global Economic Environment in Toronto, Canada
10.3.2 ICT for e-Mexico Programme and Towards a Knowledge Economy Mexico City, Mexico
10.3.3 Lessons Learnt from Case Studies
10.4 Progress to Date for ICT Applications for the Sound Business Environment
10.5 Future Opportunities and Directions for ICT Application and Achieving Sound Business Environment in Cities
References
11 Exploring Prospects to Strengthen the Nexus Between ICT, Cities, and Positive Peace: Limitations, Challenges, and Future Directions
11.1 A Brief Summary: The Negative and Positive Sides
11.2 Towards Strengthening the Nexus Between ICT, Cities, and Positive Peace
11.3 Limitations and Challenges, and Future Directions
11.3.1 Limitations
11.3.2 Challenges
11.3.3 Future Directions
11.4 ICT-Enabled and ICT-Driven Methods for Cities and Towards Reaching Positive Peace
References
Index
