Smart goes green: digitalising environmental agendas in Bristol and Manchester

The smart city is increasingly described as an emergent and soon to be dominant urban development paradigm. This chapter examines the translation of smart urban development to two British cities with noted environmental agendas: Bristol and Manchester. Both cities exemplify the 'actually existing smart city', with a particular emphasis on the green or environmental aspects of smart technologies. The narratives of both cities aim to highlight how smart urban agendas developed in ways that were closely intertwined with local geographies. Moreover, this shows how a focus on information and communication technology (ICT) innovation provides these cities with the next step in their pursuit of international recognition by positioning their local governments as visionary and proactive in shaping their respective urban futures. The smart-green agenda in Manchester dovetails neatly with the emphasis on innovation, the knowledge economy and public–private partnerships while also drawing upon previous digitalisation efforts.