Prato is a smart city, but it wants to become ever smarter.
The city has a great tradition of innovation not only where its manufacturing production is concerned but also in its ability to take advantage, in local government and in citizens' services, of the opportunities provided by computer technology and by new organizational techniques.
Public and private organizations are developing, and some of them are already to implementing, many projects that can be classified as part of the "smart city."
A survey carried out in the Prato area by PIN - University Centre in collaboration with Confservizi CISPEL Toscana, has listed the projects and initiatives relating to sectors of the Smart City and promoted both by the local government and by private companies, thus putting together a first map to use in support of drafting a “Prato Smart City” organic development program, capable of collecting and organizing existing local trends into a more general and integrated offer.
According to current literature, there are six main areas that need to be involved in the construction of a Smart City:
smart governance: provision of services and the implementation of new models of active citizen participation
smart economy: processes supporting economic activities
smart mobility: smart mobility initiatives
smart environment: sustainable development activities
smart people: initiatives for a better quality of life and social inclusion
smart living: initiatives for a smart home