Mapping synergies and trade-offs between smart city dimensions: A network analysis

Abstract

Smart cities have emerged to cope with economic and environmental challenges posed by modern-day complex city systems. This study hypothesized that overcoming such challenges with a smart city framework entails a systematic approach to increasing synergies and eliminating trade-offs between different smart city indicators. This study applied network analysis and used data from 33 smart cities worldwide for the period 2005–2019 to ascertain these synergies and trade-offs by introducing a modified framework of smart cities based on the community identification of interconnected smart city drivers. The findings of this study reveal that very few trade-offs exist in the network of smart city indicators compared to the identified synergies. Furthermore, the network statistics show that innovation, business sophistication, ICT infrastructure, and government effectiveness are key drivers of a smart city.