Smart City Development Under the War: How to Find a Balance Between Security and Resource-Saving? The Case of Kyiv

In recent years, smart cities have gained more and more popularity and many scientists are involved in research on smart cities. At the same time, developing "smart" cities in peacetime and wartime is different: in conditions of danger, the developed structure of the city can help its residents, which is what the "smart" city is focused on in its human-centric approach. The human-centric approach means that technology and data can be used in the interests of citizens, in contrast to the techno-centric approach, which provides that a “smart city” is a way of organizing the functioning of a city through advanced information and communication technologies. Therefore, projects that increase the safety of citizens and provide equipment for shelters or their modernization are extremely important in war conditions. Equally necessary due to damage to energy infrastructure facilities are energy conservation measures. Therefore, this study investigates the case of Kyiv’s “smart” city development in the conditions of war and discusses possible ways to balance human security and resource conservation. Much of my research is devoted to measures to achieve a balance between security and resource-saving in a smart city during the war and help IDPs meet their needs and solve their problems. An interview method was used to gather primary data for this research. It was however complemented by the analysis of different presentations and official documents available, as secondary data sources. I have collected five interviews with smart city development specialists and KCSA officials during the spring of 2023. The research period was set to coincide with the start of a full-scale conflict in 2022. The study revealed that after russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the priority of Kyiv Smart City development is not a technocentric approach, as it was before the war, but a human-centric one. In this work, I also focus on a group of people - who have suffered the most, these are the malware. Moreover, it was amazing, that the private sector assisted the local administration during the most difficult and uncertain month of the conflict. To study the case, Collaborative Governance was used as the conceptual framework.
The study of smart city development includes (1) how is the smart city of Kyiv project influenced by war, (2) how to achieve a balance between security and resource-saving in a smart city in the war, and (3) how can smart city development help IDPs meet their needs and solve their problems. The study reveals ideas about smart city development caused by the war, which led to ambiguous results. Therefore, the study complements the debate on providing security and resource-saving, as well as helping IDPs during the war.

Sharkov M. Smart City Development Under the War: How to Find a Balance Between Security and Resource-Saving? The Case of Kyiv : Master Thesis : 072 Finance, Banking and Insurance / Mykhailo Sharkov. – Kyiv, 2023. – 72 p.