ways in which infrastructure and assets are currently being To be attractive, an ecosystem must not only be based on used. Sharing information can help to change end-usercooperation but also pay attention to technical compatibility behaviors. Second, to complement, cities or operators can across traditional industries. Indeed, an ecosystem relies on also implement real-time dynamic pricing frameworks (tolls the ability to blur the traditional borders across sectors in order are higher for peak hours). In transport, new business models to stimulate innovation and new services. Some companies will rely on technological solutions providing both congestion- are completely changing their business models and adopting pricing models and better-integrated multimodal information creative business and financing models. Some nonprofit (for example, seamless systems for different public and organizations are promoting solutions. When companies, sharing transportation systems). Moreover, suitable real- innovators, and startups introduce new devices, products, or time information fuels some dynamic pricing traffic systems. services in an urban environment, they have to ask themselves It helps to minimize overutilization of the physical networks. how their offering could affect all of the stakeholders and actors Consequently, information systems provide adaptive tools and there. It is also advisable for them to provide an assessment of help to reduce the need to construct new equipment. potential negative externalities and side effects. Urban mobility is changing dramatically. Combatting climate For city governments, launching new initiatives and projects warming in large cities is a key challenge. Among other tools means accepting the risk of social pushback. However, doing and options, mobility has become an attractive field for investors, nothing exposes them to heavily critical opinions. The path with diverse companies coming from different industries (for between the two options is narrow. For example, even in a example, energy providers, carmakers, ground transport, cabin positive collaboration with city executives, if companies try manufacturers, mobility platforms, ride-sharing services, and to launch innovations and disruptive business models before soft mobility solutions). All compete or collaborate for a total dialoging with the local community in advance, they bear the market in which total value is rapidly increasing. risk of a potential legal backlash and lawsuits, social refusal, and/or community hostility. More generally, companies have C- Smart cities have many constituencies and been using their relationships with local governments to stakeholders branch into partnerships that are focused on setting new business models and generalizing the implementation of Many smart and sustainable cities are similar to ecosystems smart solutions. However, because citizens are mostly valuable of players drawn from a variety of existing industries. These stakeholders, it is critical to engage them in the deliberative stakeholders have different legal and social statuses (private, and decision processes. Communities can be vocal. nonprofit, civic associations) and do not have the same objectives. A key idea is to look for productive roles for each in Across major urban areas, city government initiatives have to the city ecosystem to contribute to sustainable solutions (OECD, demonstrate their capacity to create value for the many. Cities 2020). across the world are facing scrutiny from many observers and organizations. Every local initiative could benefit multiple cities. Within such an ecosystem, city government may derive benefits from more intense citizen participation and obtain harmony Overall, smart and sustainable city initiatives deliver value and between city decisions and citizen expectations. In parallel, earn loyalty. Working in a collaborative manner will create the most private companies have a high willingness to invest in common good. urban transformation. Taking advantage of the ecosystem, companies develop a greater inclination and higher capacity to collaborate with other actors and help to launch startups and entrepreneurs. At the city level, cooperation can accelerate the provision of platforms and speed up the integration of different services into shared platforms and systems. Moreover, collaborating also improves the emergence of a new category of actors: the integrators in charge of the orchestration of different complementary activities. Such integrators are crossing the traditional borders between industries, and they give rise to a network of partners. 233 Quélin and Smadja | HEC PARIS | SMART CITIES | The sustainable program of six leading cities | 2021