Does citizens’ participation moderate the relationship between the built environment and their quality of life in Indian smart cities?

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to investigate the influence of the built environment of smart cities on citizens’ quality of life in a developing country like India, focusing on the role of citizens’ participation as a moderator. Design/methodology/approach This study used partial least square-based structural equation modelling to test the hypotheses using data from 542 sample respondents residing in five smart cities of India. Findings The findings of this study confirmed that the smart city-built environment dimensions of smart governance, smart economy, smart mobility, smart environment and smart living positively relate to citizen quality of life, except for the smart people dimension. This study also confirmed that citizen participation moderates the relationship between all six dimensions of the smart city-built environment and citizens’ quality of life. Originality/value This study investigates the relationship between the built environment of smart cities and residents’ quality of life and the moderating effect of citizen participation on this relationship.