Abstract
In this research, awareness and attitude concerning smart cities among the citizens of the UK is discussed alongside the desired citizen engagement in planning for Smart Cities. A qualitative research design was adopted, and data was collected through structured interviews with participants selected from different society groups. Based on a thematic analysis, there are low levels of awareness about smart city initiatives with many gaps in certain groups’ knowledge. All the participants identified the opportunities of smart city technologies focusing on enhancing urban services and sustainability. However, fear of digital privacy and technology failure and their impact on people’s lives were expressed as concerns.
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With the use of technologies to enhance urban efficiency and residents’ quality of life, smart cities are increasingly emerging as a development trend in the UK (Wilson, 2019). The call for smart cities has been regarded as a visionary move in the United Kingdom to tackle many challenges that come with development, such as traffic jams, efficient use of resources and delivery of services (Georgiadis et al., 2021). Although many scientists and engineers agree that the notion of smart cities is still highly abstract, like IoT sensors, AI-driven traffic systems, and other advancements gradually appearing in many cities of the United Kingdom, including London, Manchester, and Glasgow, provide their people with tangible examples of what the smart city is. There are social aspects where people’s perception affects how the inhabitants interact and benefit from smart infrastructural development (Homer, 2023).
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