Innovating Urban Policy Development: Lusail Smart City's Role in Qatar's Transition to a Knowledge-Based Economy

Abstract

In recent years, a shift in economic focus has occurred, recognizing humans as the primary resource and indispensable element in economic relationships. This shift has given rise to a new economic model known as the knowledge-based economy, which places emphasis on human resources, experiences, skills, ideas, and knowledge generation. The knowledge-based economy relies heavily on information as a strategic commodity to enhance services and national income while increasing employment rates. This economic model has found application across various fields, including education, commerce, medicine, and urban planning. Particularly, the concept of smart cities has emerged as a modern notion linking the knowledge-based economy with urban development. Despite global interest in these concepts, the literature suggests a lack of attention to the knowledge-based economy and smart cities in the Arab Gulf region, including Qatar. This chapter aims to explore the relationship between smart city initiatives and the transformational processes of the knowledge-based economy, especially in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries like Qatar. It argues that smart cities and the knowledge-based economy are mutually interdependent. Smart city initiatives rely on the information and knowledge produced by the knowledge-based economy, while the latter requires better utilization of knowledge by smart applications to flourish. Using the case of Lusail smart city in Qatar, the chapter examines how the integration of smart city technologies contributes to Qatar’s progression toward a knowledge-based economy. It emphasizes the strategic significance, facilitation of innovation, and practical implementation of sustainable urban development strategies in Qatar’s development trajectory.

Citation

Badran, A. (2024), "Innovating Urban Policy Development: Lusail Smart City's Role in Qatar's Transition to a Knowledge-Based Economy", Lytras, M.D., Alkhaldi, A. and Malik, S. (Ed.) The Emerald Handbook of Smart Cities in the Gulf Region: Innovation, Development, Transformation, and Prosperity for Vision 2040, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 219-238. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83608-292-720241013