This guidebook is organised according to the different stages in the roadmap for integrated planning and implementation of smart city projects as explained earlier.
Each chapter corresponds to a particular stage and gives a checklist of to do’s for that stage, examples of best practices and of common barriers and pitfalls. Chapter 1 describes the development or adjustment of a long-term vision and objectives, and a first exploration of possibilities for collaboration within the local ecosystem. Subsequently, Chapter 2 explains how the long-term vision is concreted in a politically decided strategy, and how the city and its allies commit their resources to start preparing a plan. The operationalisation of the strategy in concrete actions, targets and milestones, is demonstrated in Chapter 3, while Chapter 4 discusses the actual implementation of the plan(s). Chapter 5 deals with how the outcomes of monitoring of progress can be used to propose changes in the implemented measures or in the original targets. Following, the realisation of proposed changes is highlighted. Chapter 6 and lastly, Chapter 7 explains which accelerating measures can be taken to facilitate replication and upscaling of successfully demonstrated smart city and low energy district solutions. Finally, the main conclusions are drawn, and next steps discussed.