List of Acronyms ixPreface xiiiIntroduction xixChapter 1 On Smart Cities: A Literature Review 11.1 Historical synopsis 31.1.1 Sustainability, unfolded 51.1.2 The sustainable in a city 61.1.3 The start of smart 91.2 Definitions, features and models 111.3 Examples of smart cities and initiatives 211.3.1 Barcelona, Spain 211.3.2 Amsterdam, The Netherlands 221.3.3 London, United Kingdom 231.3.4 Copenhagen, Denmark 241.3.5 Seoul, South Korea 261.4 Smart city market outlook 301.5 Are all cities destined to be smart? 321.6 Conclusion 33Chapter 2 A General Contractor: A Maven, A Connector 352.1 New value chains in construction 362.2 The construction project lifecycle 422.3 Innovation in construction 462.4 The general contractor 472.4.1 Roles and responsibilities 482.4.2 General contractors versus other industry actors 522.5 How do general contractors resemble music conductors? 572.6 Conclusion 63Chapter 3 On Business Models 653.1 Definitions 663.2 Constituents and illustrations 693.2.1 Business model canvas 723.2.2 Causal loop diagram 753.2.3 RCOV framework 783.2.4 Triple layered business model canvas 803.3 Business model arrangements and value 833.4 An amalgam of strategies and tactics 883.4.1 Strategies 893.4.2 Tactics 903.4.3 Stractics 913.5 On business model innovation: a long primer 943.5.1 Definitions 993.5.2 Streams of research on BMI 1023.5.3 Gaps and challenges 1063.5.4 Some practical insights into BMI 1103.6 From the managerial question to the research questions 120Chapter 4 The Design Process of the General Contractor Business Model 1214.1 Phase 1: rise 1244.2 Phase 2: showcase 1314.3 Phase 3: maturity 1394.3.1 The six-stratum business model 1444.4 Phase 4: evaluation 156Chapter 5 Research Findings 1595.1 Problems 1595.1.1 Economic 1605.1.2 Social 1765.1.3 Environment 1825.1.4 Technical 1865.2 Solutions 1945.2.1 Economic 1965.2.2 Social 2085.2.3 Environment 2155.2.4 Technical 2185.3 The general contractor business model 2275.3.1 Breakdown of problems 2295.3.2 Breakdown of solutions 2475.4 Conclusion 2535.5 Appendix 2545.5.1 Interview technique 2545.5.2 Interviewees 254Chapter 6 Discussions 2576.1 Theoretical and methodological contributions 2576.1.1 On smart cities 2576.1.2 On general contractors 2606.1.3 On business models 263Conclusion 265References 271Index 287
Elie Karam is a Professional within the construction industry and holds an executive doctorate from the Université Paris Dauphine - PSL, Paris. His research interests include architecture, construction, design sciences and strategy, particularly when considered in combination.