Usability of Knowledge Grid in Smart City Concepts
Katarzyna Marciniak and Mieczysław L. Owoc
Department of Artificial Intelliegence Systems, Wroclaw University of Economics,
Komandorska 118/120 Street, Wroclaw, Poland
Keywords: Knowledge Grid, Smart City, Knowledge Management, Intelligent Technologies.
Abstract: Knowledge grid (KG) is a promising concept of man-computer global infrastructure aimed at knowledge
services, which is being gradually developed. Global infrastructure of modern cities needs to be supported
by efficient information and communication technologies considered to be a specific ecosystem. The
ultimate goal of this paper is to present ways of implementation KG as some sort of knowledge management
in general concepts of smart city (SC). The paper is managed as follows. After short introduction
concerning research context the discussed concepts of KG and SC are presented. In the main section real-
life examples of SC implementation are investigated in order to identify and describe roles of KG approach
in this area. It allows for formulation conclusions on intersection of two approaches investigated.
1 INTRODUCTION
Climate and demographic changes, limited
resources, growth of population, urbanisation,
increasing importance of information and
development of information technologies are forcing
large and medium-sized cities to make changes in
every area of their operational functioning.
Beginning from integrating autonomously
functioning ICT platforms through effective energy
resources, raw materials and waste managing and
ending with developing dialogue with citizens and
making physical infrastructure changes. The goal of
such upgrade is not only to achieve positive
economic impact on a city, region, or a country,
but mainly to prepare for meeting future needs of
civilisation. Nowadays they are generated by
the society which in fact is classified as
an information society. Solutions used in cities all
over the world (Amsterdam, Copenhagen,
Montpellier, New York, Singapore, Wrocław, etc.)
are no longer sufficient to provide proper
communication between its users - citizens, but has
become an integral part of the present civilisation
infrastructure. Such a situation forces city
governances into using effective management in all
different branches of their urban economies. That
will lead to the development of higher levels of
efficiency, interactivity, flexibility, accountability
essential to adapt to the rapid pace of changes
which, indeed, is the ideological basis of well-
known and used in the world concept of smart city.
2 CONCEPTS OF SMART CITY
Although the issue of the smart city concept is not
new, it is still in the phase of conceptualisation. This
is due to the lack of consistency in the results of
research conducted independently by many and
various expert groups in different regions of
the world where the cities supplied solutions on
issues depending on the local economic, social,
technological and environmental factors. Therefore,
the authors focus on various definitions of different
factors as components of smart city. According to
DOE Scientific and Technical Information, “smart
city is the city that monitors and integrates elements
of infrastructure - roads, bridges, tunnels, subways,
airports, sea and river ports, water and sewage,
communication, which in turn allows you to optimize
urban resources and this translates into maximizing
the provision of services to citizens, while reducing
costs and improving. The use of the decision-making
bodies of modern management safety” (Hall, 2012).
IBM research group claims that “the smart city is
a combination of integrated infrastructures:
physical, social, business and IT” (Harrison et al.,
2010). The Innovation Knowledge Foundation pays
attention to “the integration of ICT and Web 2.0
341
Marciniak K. and L. Owoc M..
Usability of Knowledge Grid in Smart City Concepts.
DOI: 10.5220/0004453903410346
In Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems (ICEIS-2013), pages 341-346
ISBN: 978-989-8565-61-7
Copyright
c
2013 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)
technologies, in order to speed up and simplify
administrative procedures and office space, which
helps to simplify the complexity of the existing
decision-making processes” (Toppeta, 2010). Doug
Washburn, chief research analyst at Forrester's IT
team Infrastructure, believes that “the basis of smart
city is to use intelligent computer technology as
a core infrastructure in the city administration,
education, health care, public safety, real estate and
transportation” (Washburn, 2012).
As we can see the authors of the above
definitions, despite some differences, suggest
the need of integration of existing information
systems (or more globally knowledge management
resources) as the only possible way of achieving
a complete, efficient, sustainable and equitable
management of business processes taking place
inside and outside every city, seeking to achieve
smart status. The use of the decision-making bodies
of modern management concepts, approaches,
procedures, and technology can enable a new and
highly desired order and balance between the
requirements of the environmental, social, economic
and technological aspects (Noworól, 2012). Re-
establishment of order and consistency in
the functioning of cities has become now one of
the major problems for the authorities of each
agglomeration. Attempts at achieving that goal are
determined by the current investment decisions and
improvements made. Therefore, it is essential that all
changes introduced in cities should include the
implementation of Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT), which in result should
determine sustainable development of a city based
on knowledge (see OECD).
3 KNOWLEDGE GRID
APROACHES
Gathering and distributing knowledge (as a result
and heritage of past and modern societies) seems to
be one of the most demanding challenges not only
from ICT point of view but most of all as a storage
of civilisation achievements. The concept of offering
knowledge resources via computer networks became
a main assumption of Knowledge Grid boosters
(compare Berman, 2001). At least two approaches
should be demonstrated: European and Asian in
order to explain an essence of this specific
knowledge management “method”.
The first European proposal was authored by M.
Cannataro and D. Talia (see: Cannataro and Talia,
2003). According to their interpretation “Knowledge
Grid is a software system based on a set of services
for knowledge discovery over a grid”. It denotes the
following features of this interpretation: knowledge-
based stored structures, efficient ways of knowledge
management, service oriented knowledge
processing, and using multi-purposed knowledge.
The second Asian approach is represented by H.
Zhuge (details in: Zhuge 2008; 2012). He declared
that “conceptualized the Knowledge Grid is an
intelligent and sustainable Internet application
environment that enables people or virtual roles
(mechanisms that facilitate interoperation among
users, applications, and resources) to effectively
capture, publish, share and manage explicit
knowledge resources”. He stressed special
properties of Knowledge Grid approach:
architectural (based on hybrid IC technologies),
virtual aspect of grouping requirements, roles and
resources, social characteristics of knowledge
management, adaptive on demand user expectations
and semantic computing model applied in this
vision.
The presented approaches can be generalized via
integration of common features and considering
differences between both perspectives. Concluding,
particular features of knowledge grid technology in
the demonstrated visions can be summarised by
discovering its characteristics including:
Architectural (computer-network grid
dimension),
Knowledge-based (contextual and owner
dimensions),
Service-oriented (grid dimension) and
Specific processing Methods (flexible defined
processing ways dimension).
All these characteristics of KG have the real impact
on its development and implementation processes in
many areas.
Considering KG factors essential in broadly
defined development processes we would like to
stress that there are no research in this area except
for some oriented on specific solutions in grids (see:
Hwang et al., 2009); (Owoc, 2009); (Owoc, 2010).
Broadly speaking, we may take into account
determinants typical for any IT products as well as
specific for the presented knowledge context.
Technological aspect of Knowledge Grid
development in some way is conditioning the whole
concept. This is a quest of the adequate computer
infrastructure (mostly based on the Internet and
modern information technologies) which can serve
KG concept (see: Wang et al., 2006). Nowadays
hardware parameters as well as available software
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packages (especially using artificial intelligence
methods) are basically good enough to support KG
solutions.
Economical context of KG implementation
can be fundamentally identified with knowledge
economy and in particular with knowledge network
(see: Chattopadhyay et al., 2009 and Cheung and
Liu, 2005). In other words KG is approved when
actual or future (including long-term) expectations
of users are fulfilled at reasonable costs. There are
many projects devoted to usability and economics
of Knowledge Grid (see: Akogrimo, SGL or
CoAKTinG) which lead to elaborating efficient KG
applications.
Social determinants of KG development play
essential role in the discussed problem. By its nature
particular communities or the whole society are
creators as well as users of the gathered knowledge.
Therefore members of society (individuals or
groups) can be stimulators or moderators of the KG
development. For sure the consciousness of the KG
implementation necessity is growing up which
means continuous extensions of the discussed
solutions in new areas including smart city concepts.
The last itemised factor of the KG development
defined as environmental expresses human-machine
relationships (see: Zhuge, 2008) in more universal
context. This environment includes knowledge
“actors” (citizens and self-organised communities)
that act with computer networks creating
a specialized mechanism in order to assure ability
to achieve aims defined in KG. Getting into details,
specialized architectures with evolving networking
mechanisms for the KG environment are built by
covering automatic clustering of users and large-
scale annotated resources, scalable structures for
resource organization and many others.
All the presented factors are crucial in
development of applications supporting more
complex sectors. In our opinion smart city concepts
belong to this area and what is more, some of the
defined KG factors can play decisive role in
implementation the whole concept especially in
more generalized approach of smart city vision.
4 SMART CITY AS A SYSTEM
OF THE SYSTEMS
Main factor of describing city as a kind of smart is
intelligent management and the same knowledge
management. It means that if the decision-making
bodies make decisions regarding the development of
the city they must take into consideration contractual
six segments, aspects of the agglomeration: smart
economy, people, governance, mobility,
environment and living (Chourabi et al., 2012).
Figure 1 illustrates the pattern of relations that
occur between these elements. This classification
describes what are the main aspects of smart city and
how strongly it is dependent on real access of
citizens to Information and Communication
Technologies. The purpose of the existence and
operation of ICT infrastructure is therefore
necessary to integrate key information generated by
its users on each field, which is to provide a
complete list of requirements, guidelines for
maintenance and improvements in aspects:
ecological city life of its citizens, public safety,
public services and the operation of any commercial
and industrial activities.
Figure 1: Smart city concept.
To ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of
smart city it is crucial to apply all dedicated
solutions related to appearing problems concerning
each and every area of the city taking advantage of
implemented ICT solutions. The existence of
individual components, as autonomous entities is
impossible. That is why it is important for decision-
makers of a city to think of a process of making
changes as a holistic investment and development.
Looking at the city from the perspective of
the whole, complete, living organism allows
decision-makers to pay special attention to
the integration of urban infrastructures. That
mechanism of making changes in one aspect relating
results in other aspects make smart city as a “system
of the systems”.
Wherever processes of decision-making are
found, through their algorithmisation, it is possible
to use information support, using specially dedicated
solutions. Strategic vision for the implementation of
information systems in urban areas should be
UsabilityofKnowledgeGridinSmartCityConcepts
343
understood primarily through the integration of
diverse information systems and customization them
for the needs of residents, using all available
communication channels and tools.
Many global companies (e.g. IBM, Oracle,
Microsoft, CISCIO, Nokia Siemens Network, etc.)
and research groups all over the world deliver
complex solutions dedicated directly to smart city
perfect functioning. All of them are therefore a set of
solutions including technologies and applications
that integrate multipart IT infrastructures. In this
way it is available to optimize the service delivery
process through the city to its citizens through the
use of a specially created layers of monitoring
productivity, improving service delivery and
budgeting.
5 PRESENCE OF KNOWLEDGE
GRID IN SMART CITY
SOLUTIONS
According to the previous considerations of the
meaning of knowledge grid in smart city concepts,
we have analysed, in our opinion, relationships
between knowledge grid solutions factors and
demands generated by the smart city vision
categorized in first part of article. Results are
presented in Figure 2.
To demonstrate strong and direct relationships
occurring between the requirements of knowledge
grid and elements of smart city we used pie graphs
as a content of previously presented model of smart
city. Pie charts illustrate crucial elements of
knowledge grid which, in our opinion, determines
particular aspects of smart city. It is the simplest
method of explaining the idea of knowledge grid
solutions usability as basics of smart city
functioning.
Starting with technological aspect of knowledge
grid possibly used in smart city, we can see that it
covers four of six crucial elements: economy,
people, governance and environment directly and
completely. The implementation of complex system
provides positive effects in a city’s economy,
facilitates citizens access to the newest ICT products
and services, improves decision making processes
for authorities and makes natural resources and other
cities media management more efficient. The best
example of infrastructures integration can be
Bornholm, where citizens will be able to manage
their energy usage by themselves via mobile
devices. (see EcoGrid EU)
Figure 2: Knowledge grid and smart city intersections.
The economical factor of knowledge grid also
covers four of six smart city aspects: economy,
governance, environment and living. Inventing new
technological solutions and improving existing ones
which are combined with optimization of producing
process has a direct positive influence on economy.
When a city makes use of supplied solutions
authorities preferably invest in IT sector to ensures
improvement of products, services and that specific
branch. Complex solutions dedicated to environment
management are more efficient than integration of
heterogeneous systems. When a city is managed in
an efficient way it has a big impact on increasing a
level of life quality. Such a solution, called
Operations Center of Rio, has already been
implemented in Rio do Janeiro, where weather
forecasting and public safety module helps the city
to avoid very cost-consuming disasters (see The
New York Times, 2012).
The social factor of knowledge grid is also
connected with four elements: people, governance,
mobility and living. New channels of
communications available, new solutions and fast
delivery of new services and products spur citizens
to use it and unconsciously to improve technology
growth and social life (also including security
aspects – see: Shi et al., 2006). Authorities can
communicate with citizens in a few seconds, directly
and in short time collect all lists of problems
generated by specific neighbourhoods (it is a matter
of assumed knowledge granularity (see Mach and
Owoc, 2010). By using applications dedicated to
mobility people can avoid traffics, so it also
improves that sector. The fact of being
uninterruptedly in touch with others and faster
communication between actors/users/citizens
improves the quality of life. As a perfect example of
such a solution is AmsterdamOpent.nl platform
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which allows citizens to support local polices (see
AmsterdamOpent.nl).
The environmental factor (considered basically
as a human-computer relationship) covers five of six
smart city aspects: economy, people, governance,
environment and living. Investing in proper ICT
solutions has a direct impact on city’s economy.
Modelling and customising human-computer
interaction involves and develops citizen skills.
Perfectly prepared analytical solution improves and
optimises decisions making processes. It has a
similar effect on the environment. The existing
technology has a positive impact on improving a life
quality
everywhere. The best proof of such a
situation can be Luxemburg, which was placed on
the first position in the ranking of European medium
size cities, treated as smart. Montpellier reached the
highest position among French cities in total
ranking, right the first ten. (see Centre of Regional
Science, 2007)
6 CONCLUSIONS
To sum up, knowledge grid is a complex system
architecture consisting of advanced intelligent
solutions based on a grid which is applied to
discover existing knowledge. Smart city is a
conception which assumes integration of all city
infrastructure – physical, social, business and IT.
Considering facts and all information presented
in the article, we can say that smart city needs
intelligent ICT solutions to achieve goals for present
cities. It is also known that IT intelligence is thought
to be based on knowledge. Nowadays, each city in
the world is a big information grid.
The most important fact is the idea of Smart
Cities which is one of the key projects for the future
of energy in the European Union. It is connected
with the implementation of the climate and energy
package. All activities undertaken by city authorities
are focused on fulfilling the expectations of the
European Union. The involvement of cities in
building Smart Cities will help to achieve very
important goal, which is to reduce climate change by
2020 and reduce CO2 emissions by 20% in 2050
(see Energy 2020).
So, if we as the globe are going to create smart
cities, don’t we need to firstly focus on existing
knowledge grid (which is full of data and
information) and then try to develop and schedule
other activities? Examples of future research can
embrace the following quests: integration of
different approaches in formulation of consistent
strategy of agglomeration development, survey on
factors and determinants influencing applying of
knowledge grid methods in cities and monitoring of
projects focused on intelligent technologies
implementation in modern cities.
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