Mission
We aim to catalyze and support the development of smart settlements in Hungary. We publish recommendations, guidelines and rules based on local needs and EU guidance to enable the systemic implementation of efficient development models. We connect relevant actors at local, national and international level, and create links between national and international programs, best practices, operational and business models.
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WHAT IS A SMART CITY?
Hungarian Government Decree No. 56/2017 (20.03.) was issued in the Official Gazette on 20th March 2017. The decree provides an official definition to the meaning of "smart city":
A smart city is a settlement or a group of settlements, which develops its natural and built environment, digital infrastructure, and the quality and economic efficiency of its locally available services by adopting novel and innovative information-technologies, in a sustainable way, through the increased involvement of its residents. Sustainable city development based on the methodology considers horizontal aspects – high quality and efficiency, environmental and economical sustainability, increased involvement of residents – for the improvement of both services and infrastructure. Information technologies integrated into the tools of development and operation support the achievement of these aspects as well as the monitoring of improvement.
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KNOWLEDGE PLATFORM
We support Hungarian settlements in creating their Smart City Strategies, providing professional assistance and guidance.
Further information: okosvaros@lechnerkozpont.hu
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ABOUT THE DATA-BASE
The purpose of the online database is to show how diverse and complex the Smart City concept is in practice, and that it does not merely involve technology-based solutions. It must also be emphasized that a single project alone is does not make a settlement smart and sustainable. The city is the most sophisticated product of human civilization, and its sustainable and successful development should exhibit similar elaboration.
A smart city continuously measures and monitors the effects of its improvements. The settlement evaluation and monitoring system developed by the Lechner Knowledge Centre examines cities along six sub-systems in accordance with international practice – government, economy, environment, mobility, living conditions, people. For the classification of projects we looked at which sub-system each development affects the most.
SMART CITY SUB-SYSTEMS
Our approach is based on the index systems of the EU Smart City Ranking and Smart Cities Council, which specify six sub-systems to measure the development of cities and the impact of smart city projects. Living Labs represent a distinct category, since most successful and proven projects were developed in such frameworks.
SMART GOVERNANCE
Smart governance covers open, transparent decision-making processes based on participation, the ICT-based support of such personalized city-, and public services, measures related to the handling of data, and proactive, innovation-driven governance.
SMART MOBILITY
Smart mobility covers sustainable and service-centred traffic development, the promotion of non motorized and public transportation, accommodating multimodal access (the establishment of system-level and physical connections between modes of transports), and end-to-end ICT integration of mobility services.
SMART ENVIRONMENT
Smart environment covers sustainable environmental resource management (renewable energy, water-, and waste-management), measures to improve the air quality, increasing urban resilience and adaptation to climate change, and the energy-efficient development of the built environment.
SMART ECONOMY
Smart economy covers services supporting local SMEs and innovation ecosystems, trainings, education and incubation environment to encourage entrepreneurship and productivity, tools assisting local and global market integration, ICT platforms, open data, urban laboratories and similar solutions.
SMART LIVING
Smart living covers measures to establish a liveable city, measures to improve personal safety and health conditions, tourism, programs to enhance active cultural, recreational and social experiences, programs to improve housing conditions, and supporting ICT solutions.
SMART PEOPLE
Smart people covers the strengthening of the knowledge economy and a competitive labour force, programs supporting lifelong learning and innovation in education, measures taken to establish a creative and inclusive society such as participatory planning, co-production and co-design processes.
LIVING LABS
A Living Lab is an experimental environment where users and developers work together on the developement of services, products and applications. Living Labs, according to the European Commission’ definition, are PPPP (private public people partnership) constructions supporting user-centred open innovation.