Glossary | Valencia Smart City - Smart City - València

Artificial intelligence (AI) applies advanced analysis and logic-based techniques, including machine learning, to interpret events, support and automate decisions, and take actions.

An application programming interface (API) is an interface that provides programmatic access to service functionality and data within an application or a database. It can be used as a building block for the development of new interactions with humans, other applications or smart devices. Companies use APIs to serve the needs of a digital transformation or an ecosystem, and start a platform business model.

The UN General Assembly adopted, in September 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an action plan in favor of people, planet and prosperity, which also intends to strengthen universal peace and access to justice. By ratifying this document, UN Member States committed to mobilizing efforts to end all forms of poverty, combat inequalities and tackle climate change, thus ensuring that "no one is left behind".

The 2030 Agenda includes 17 Global Goals, known as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to go beyond the previous Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and end all forms of poverty.

A high-volume, high-velocity and/or high-variety information asset that demands cost-effective and innovative ways of processing information that enable improved understanding, decision making and process automation.

BIM is a collaborative work methodology applied to the construction sector, a collection of building data organized to facilitate the management of engineering, architecture and construction projects, achieving improvements in results and efficiency in the processes.

It allows to define and carry out construction projects from a global and integrated perspective, keeping in mind at all times the entire construction project of the building in each of its phases, from its initial sketch to its launching.

A blockchain is an expanding list of cryptographically signed, irrevocable transactional records shared by all participants in a network. Each record contains a time stamp and reference links to previous transactions. With this information, anyone with access rights can trace back a transactional event, at any point in its history, belonging to any participant. A blockchain is one architectural design of the broader concept of distributed ledgers.

Broadband refers to telecommunications in which a wide band of frequencies is available to send data. Broadband telecommunication lines or connections are defined as those transporting data at high speeds, with a speed of data transfer for uploading and downloading data (also called capacity) equal to or higher than 144 kbit/s (kilobits per second).

The technologies most widely used for broadband internet access are digital subscriber line (DSL) and its variations (xDSL), or cable modem (connects your computer to a local television line).

Indicators based on ISO 37120 "Sustainable development in cities. Indicators for urban services and quality of life".

This international standard defines and establishes methodologies that guide and measure the performance of municipal services and the well-being of citizens.

Cybersecurity is the combination of people, policies, processes and technologies employed by an enterprise to protect its cyber assets.

A digital twin is a digital representation of a real-world entity or system. The implementation of a digital twin is an encapsulated software object or model that mirrors a unique physical object, process, organization, person or other abstraction. Data from multiple digital twins can be aggregated for a composite view across a number of real-world entities, such as a power plant or a city, and their related processes.

Digital subscriber line, abbreviated as DSL, is a family of technologies that allows for digital data transmission over the wires of a local telephone network. DSL can be used at the same time and on the same telephone line as normal telephone calls since DSL operates at high-frequency bands while the telephone call uses low frequencies. The most common form of DSL technology is ADSL, or Asymmetric digital subscriber line, where the bandwith used in either direction is different.

Fiber optics is a high-bandwidth transmission technology that uses light to carry digital information. One fiber telephone cable carries hundreds of thousands of voice circuits. These cables, or light guides, replace conventional coaxial cables and wire pairs. Fiber transmission facilities occupy far less physical volume for an equivalent transmission capacity, which is a major advantage in crowded ducts. Optical fiber is also immune to electrical interference.

A geographic information system (GIS) is a collection of computer hardware, software and geographic data for capturing, managing, analyzing and displaying every form of geographically referenced information, often called spatial data.

Generative AI expands the output of AI systems to include high-value artifacts such as video, narrative, software code, synthetic data through to designs and schematics.

Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3) is a large language model — also known as an AI foundation model — developed by OpenAI. By tracking words in sequences, it learns both context and meaning in language. GPT-3 uses deep learning to produce long pieces of text that read as if they were written by humans.

Information and communication technology, abbreviated as ICT, covers all technical means used to handle information and aid communication. This includes both computer and network hardware, as well as their software.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical objects that contain embedded technology to communicate and sense or interact with their internal states or the external environment.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the specialized telecommunications agency of the United Nations Organization (UN), responsible for regulating telecommunications at the international level among the various administrations and operating companies.

It was founded in 1865 to facilitate the international connectivity of communications networks. Among its functions, it allocates the global radio frequency spectrum and satellite orbits, develops technical standards that ensure the harmonious interconnection of networks and technologies and strives to improve access to ICTs for underserved communities around the world. Every cell phone call, Internet access, or e-mail is a benefit of ITU's work.​

ITU is committed to connecting all the world's people - wherever they live and whatever their means. Through their work, they protect and support everyone's right to communicate.

Research and experimental development, abbreviated as R&D, comprise the 'creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge - including knowledge of humankind, culture and society - and to devise new applications of available knowledge'.

SDG stand for Sustainable Development Goals.

The SDGs call for action by all countries, poor, rich and middle-income, to promote prosperity and protect the planet. The Goals recognize that ending poverty must go hand in hand with strategies that promote economic prosperity, address social needs (including education, health, social protection and job opportunities), tackle climate change and advocate for environmental protection.

While the SDGs are not legally binding, governments are expected to take ownership and establish national frameworks for achieving the 17 Goals. Countries have the primary responsibility for monitoring and reviewing progress made in implementing the Goals, which requires quality data collection.

An intelligent tourist destination, consolidated on a state-of-the-art technological infrastructure, that guarantees the sustainable development of the tourist territory, accessible to all, that facilitates the interaction and integration of the visitor with the environment and increases the quality of his experience in the destination and improves the quality of life of the resident.

The United Nations initiative U4SSC (United for Smart and Sustainable Cities) creates these Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the context of smart and sustainable cities and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The set of these indicators is structured around three dimensions that correspond to the three pillars of sustainability: economy, environment, and society and culture. Thus, each of these dimensions provides a disaggregated vision of the city and its environment.

The results of these indicators contribute to measuring progress toward the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. By providing a common set to measure city performance, it allows comparing the performance of different smart and sustainable cities, leading to the dissemination of good practices and the determination of common and standardized norms for the achievement of the SDGs.

Also see: ITU Certification

U4SSC (United for Smart Sustainable Cities) is a United Nations initiative aimed at helping cities achieve Sustainable Development Goal 11, which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. It is co-led by ITU, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and is supported by 15 other UN agencies.