The Southern Question and Smart Cities

The subject of this paper is: how large metropolitan areas in the South ofItaly can become smart? They are suffering an endemic crisis in terms of socialcohesion, sustainability of processes, quality and facilities. Nonetheless, theyhave a large and often devalued cultural and social capital, and interesting potentialsin view of smart cities. The authors suggest a version of urban smartnessstrongly marked in the sense of sustainability and social equity as part of theextended urban welfare.This analysis is placed in the context of major global changes, especially withregard to climate change and the energy crisis. The crucial role of EU policiesis highlighted as well as the lack of national urban policies. A critical point appearsthe risk that the idea of smart city is implemented in a reductive and purelytechnological sense. Large southern cities instead have to face a cultural andpolitical challenge.