International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Article Smart and Age-Friendly Cities in Romania: An Overview of Public Policy and Practice Loredana Ivan 1, Dorin Beu 2 and Joost van Hoof 3,4,* 1 Department of Communication, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Bulevardul Expozi¸tiei30A, 012102 Bucharest, Romania; [email protected] 2 Faculty of Building Services Engineering, Technical University of Cluj Napoca, Strada Memorandumului 28, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; [email protected] 3 Faculty of Social Work and Education, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Johanna Westerdijkplein 75, 2521 EN Den Haag, The Netherlands 4 Institute of Spatial Management, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Geodesy, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, ul. Grunwaldzka 55, 50-357 Wrocław, Poland * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 12 June 2020; Accepted: 16 July 2020; Published: 18 July 2020 Abstract: The role of smart cities in order to improve older people’s quality of life, sustainability and opportunities, accessibility, mobility, and connectivity is increasing and acknowledged in public policy and private sector strategies in countries all over the world. Smart cities are one of the technological-driven initiatives that may help create an age-friendly city. Few research studies have analysed emerging countries in terms of their national strategies on smart or age-friendly cities. In this study, Romania which is predicted to become one of the most ageing countries in the European Union is used as a case study. Through document analysis, current initiatives at the local, regional, and national level addressing the issue of smart and age-friendly cities in Romania are investigated. In addition, a case study is presented to indicate possible ways of the smart cities initiatives to target and involve older adults. The role of different stakeholders is analysed in terms of whether initiatives are fragmentary or sustainable over time, and the importance of some key factors, such as private–public partnerships and transnational bodies. The results are discussed revealing the particularities of the smart cities initiatives in Romania in the time frame 2012–2020, which to date, have limited connection to the age-friendly cities agenda. Based on the findings, a set of recommendations are formulated to move the agenda forward. Keywords: age-friendly cities; smart cities initiatives; smart city; Romania; public policies on smart cities; evaluating smart cities initiatives; older people 1. Introduction All over the world, societies are ageing and older people become increasingly visible in daily living. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) [1], the population share of those adults aged 65 years and over is expected to rise to 25.1% in 2050 across its member states. A similar pattern can be observed for Romania, a European Union member state which also has an intention to become an OECD member state and whose membership request is under consideration by the OECD Council. Cities in particular have large numbers of older inhabitants; over 40% of all older people live in urban areas. The relationships between ageing populations and urban change, in conjunction with the need to develop supportive urban communities, are a cause of issues and concerns for public policies and practise [2]. The understanding of these relationships led to the emergence of so-called age-friendly cities [3–6]. There are eight domains of an age-friendly city, namely Social participation; Communication and Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 5202; doi:10.3390/ijerph17145202 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 5202 2 of 25 information; Civic participation and employment; Housing; Transportation; Community support and health services; Outdoor spaces and buildings; Respect and social inclusion. The WHO proposed that policies, services, and structures in an age-friendly city, which are related to the physical and social environment, are designed to support and enable older people to “age actively”. In other words, to live in security, enjoy good health, and continue to participate fully in society [3,6–8]. Within the framework of age-friendly cities and communities, technology does not play an explicit role [9], but it needs to be noted that in the daily living of older people, technology is all around and cannot be ignored as a major source of support for activities, stimulation of social participation and the provision of care [10–13]. Given the numerous technologies available at present and used by citizens, it is important to explore how such technologies can be used and deployed in the home and across different communities in order to benefit the citizens in the respective age-friendly communities including those communities that are not categorised as age-friendly by the WHO [6,9,10,14]. The new smart age-friendly ecosystem framework proposed by Marston and van Hoof [9] considers the rapid pace in which technology develops but also to ensure all citizens in society are represented, and intersects with the current trends in the domain of smart cities. Albino et al. [15] attempted to clarify the meaning of smart cities through a literature review, and found that it first emerged in the 1990s. They concluded that it is a multifaceted phenomenon, which includes, amongst others, qualities of people and communities as well as ICTs. There seems to be a lack of universality, both in its definition and in measures of performance [15,16]. Some of the definitions include references to healthcare, for instance, that a smart city is prepared to provide conditions for a healthy and happy community under the challenging conditions that global, environmental, economic, and social trends may bring. Or, the use of smart computing technologies to make the critical infrastructure components and services of a city, including healthcare, more intelligent, interconnected, and efficient [15]. In this paper, a smart city is an urban area that utilises and deploys various electronic Internet of Things devices and sensors [12], which have the ability to collect data and utilise the data in an attempt to provide efficient and smarter resources to residents and communities. A wide array of data can be collected from public and private sources, which can be processed for the better good of society [17]. In relation to advancing age-friendly interventions, the WHO touches upon the collaboration with transnational (city) networks, such as smart cities networks, for which addressing ageing will help advance their strategic priorities [9]. Podgórniak-Krzykacz et al. [18] also called for smart cities to seek to ensure meeting the needs of older citizens and promoting solutions tailored to their computer literacy, digital skills, and perception capabilities. A similar trend was also seen by Woolrych et al. [19] in relation to emerging technologies for the support of health and independence of senior citizens. In their study, many senior citizens were willing to use a wide range of technologies in the context of age-friendly smart cities. In a study on age-friendly city development in South Australia, Zaman and Thornton [20] identified a large set of priority indicators. One of the topics raised is the provision of training for older people on the latest technologies. Additionally, Gudowsky et al. [21] and Righi et al. [22] stated that smart cities need to adapt to ageing societies and that great hopes are projected on technology to support solutions for urban ageing. A growing number of cities and communities worldwide are striving to better meet the needs of their older residents. The WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities was established to foster the exchange of experience and mutual learning between cities and communities worldwide (Figure1). Cities and communities in the network are of di fferent sizes and are located in different parts of the world. Their efforts to become more age-friendly take place within very diverse cultural and socioeconomic contexts. What all members of the Network do have in common is the desire and commitment to promoting healthy and active ageing and a good quality of life for their older residents. Romania does not have any cities or communities that are members of the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities. At the same time, there are numerous smart city initiatives in the country, which may or may not intersect with the age-friendly cities movement and its strategic agenda. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 5202 3 of 25 Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 24 FigureFigure 1. 1. NoNo citycity in in Romania Romania has yethas joined yet thejoined Global the Network Global forNetwork Age-friendly for CitiesAge-friendly and Communities Cities and Communities(status quo July (status 2020) quo [23 ].July 2020) [23]. The current study investigates smart city initiatives at the local, regional, and national level in The current study investigates smart city initiatives at the local, regional, and national level in Romania aiming to answer the following research questions: RomaniaResearch aiming Question to answer 1: Whatthe following are the main research characteristics questions: of smart city initiatives in Romania during the pastResearch eight years Question? The time 1: What period are 2012–2020 the main ischaracteristics