"Are smart cities our future? New information and communication technologies can contribute to solving the current and future challenges faced by cities. This book shows the concrete work over a period of five years towards developing a 'Smart City', as a Public Private Partnership between Deutsche Telekom and a medium-sized German city (Friedrichshafen). The aim of the project was to extend the city's social intercommunication, to make the location more effective for businesses, and especially to noticeably improve the quality of life for residents. This vision was converted into reality over a period of five years and accompanied by social-scientific studies. The authors show the effects and benefits of the project, thereby providing a substantial contribution to the worldwide debate about 'Smart Cities'."