The smart city: challenges for the civil engineering sector

In the twenty-first century, engineers are being tasked with solving ever more complex and subtle societal challenges – from climate change to unprecedented urbanisation that is materially affecting the lives of many urban populations. As engineers become ever more interdisciplinary and the boundaries of disciplines soften, they need to reflect as a community as to the appropriateness of the engineering paradigm to address these needs. Currently the engineering community is pointing to the digital technologies and the ‘smart city’ as a deliverer of efficiency and resilience without fully acknowledging the intricate sociopolitical context in which it is situated. This paper explores four key challenges that the (civil) engineering sector must contend with if it is to harness appropriately the potential of digital technologies while maintaining an ethical and productive foundation on which cities can thrive, including (a) embracing complexity, (b) the smart city and social justice, (c) financing the smart city and (d) engineering education.