Seoul is known as one of the leading cities for its “smartness” especially in Asia. What makes Seoul a smart city and what does it mean to be smart in making the city more livable for its citizens? What role does ICT play in making a city to become good and smart? Seoul is unique as it organically evolved as a smart city that began embracing new technologies in the early phase. It also evolved as a more livable city in the recent decades with the help of ICT while city’s planning became more integrated with focus on enhancing the lives of its citizens.  Moreover, as widely known, it is also a city that has gone through a rapid urban development and transformation, building from the rubbles in the aftermath of the Korean War almost seven decades ago. Perhaps there are some lessons and best practices from Seoul for cities in need of development in Asia.

Kris Moon who has just joined as Urban Development Specialist at SDCC’s Urban Sector Group shares her experiences with Smart City Seoul while it is still very fresh in her memory. Kris was a US national, an outsider, living and working in Seoul, and she was also an urban champion spreading Smart Livable City with Seoul as a model city for such.