The term intelligent city has been used with various meanings. At least five different descriptions of what an intelligent city is can be found in the literature. Initially ICs have been defined as virtual reconstructions of cities, as virtual cities. The term has been used broadly as an equivalent of digital city, information city, wired city, telecity, knowledge-based city, electronic communities, electronic community spaces, flexicity, teletopia, cyberville, covering a wide range of electronic and digital applications related to digital spaces of communities and cities. Another meaning was given by the World Foundation for Smart Communities, which links smart cities with smart growth, a development based on information and commnication technologies. Smart Community is a community that has made a conscious effort to use information technology to transform life and work within its region in significant and fundamental, rather than incremental, ways.

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Dr. Dongliang Yuan, is a full research professor at Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has studied and worked in the U.S. for15 years before taking the position in China. Dr. Bo Qiu is a full professor at Department of Oceanography of University of Hawaii. Dr. Alexander Ganachaud is a senior scientist at Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement of the New Calidonia, France. Dr. Jianping Li is a full research professor at Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.