City evolution is connected to social, economic and technological evolutions. New technologies induce further changes, which are highly innovative, which again affect the urban and territorial systems. The city once again adjusts to new opportunities in relation to information and communications technologies, energy and mobility. In this paper, smart city, configured as a set of interacting systems with people, is focused as a possible model to follow for pursuing sustainability in real cities of the twenty-first century. Three processes are recalled: city development, city planning theories and city rules. Smart city seems to be the convergent point for all processes evolving in European urban areas. Theoretical definitions of smart city are recalled. At the same time, the European Commission is promoting smart city rules for implementation. Moreover, in the last years some local decision-makers implemented specific measures that today can be considered in the class of smart city measures. The objective of the paper is to analyse the European perspectives for smart city, trying to separate the three processes that are strongly integrated, but without formal links. To verify the European smart city approach, a study case concerning city logistics is considered.

Actual cities have become smart cities divided by zones. In the past, various innovative actions have been carried out to facilitate smart cities. The projects that were carried out, in response to the needs expressed by inhabitants and driven by individualistic growth, have gone beyond the regulations defined by the urban plan. In fact, territorial contexts reflect the needs of inhabitants, which always shift faster and are more reactive than traditional urban planning tools. The territory is a complex system and it works well if the design choices for its sustainable development are structured and coordinated by a strategic planning tool. The objective of this research is to propose a smart planning process in order to pursue the sustainable development of complex territorial systems. The paper has a particular interest in observing the integrated coastal-marine system as a possible example of real smart development. Smart planning applied to this type of landscape has a positive influence on the development of the environment, landscapes, infrastructure, mobility, services, energy, research, and innovation.

High Speed Rail (HSR) is a new mode of transport and has a significant impact on the territory. The urban plan, in respect of the technical standards set by the rules, does not provide any indication for the inclusion of an important node in the territory, such as a station of an HSR line. Even the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) designed for metropolitan areas, in their strategic choices, often do not give indications on the HSR. It therefore happens that the territories are distorted by the effects caused by the location of such an important infrastructural node. Furthermore, the stations of the HSR are designed by “archi-star” architects who give a significant formal and visual mark on the territory. The paper underlines the importance of HSR through the analysis of two case studies, the effects that HSR cause on the territory. The first case of the Mediopadana High Speed Rail station in Reggio Emilia analyses the impact caused on a moderately anthropized territory. The second case of the High Speed Rail station of Naples Afragola analyses the impact caused on a highly anthropized territory. The analysis of these two projects concludes with considerations regarding the opportunity of an integrated urban and transport planning.

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