Sustainable, smart, and resilient city development: a systematic review

The growth of city population has consequences on the sustainability and development of smart regions. International standards can provide good practices in wide areas related to environmental, security and social aspects that contribute to the achievement of economic and sustainable growth, well-being, and safe environment. The aim of this study is to explore if there is an association between the level of smart cities in different regions and the number of certificates that could initiate further development of smart and sustainable cities. We analysed standards that support the development of sustainable and smart cities from different countries and explored their influence on the level of smart and sustainable cities. To measure the performance of cities we used the UN-habitat City Prosperity Initiative (CPI) and its six dimensions: Productivity, Infrastructure Development, Quality of Life, Equity and Social Inclusion, Environmental Sustainability, and Urban Governance and Legislation. To analyse the influence of international standards on smart regions and cities initiative we conducted SEM analysis. The results of the research have proved that there is a significant difference between the level of smart cities in different regions and the number of certificates that could initiate further development of smart and sustainable cities. Additionally, a positive impact of international standards on the development of smart regions and cities is confirmed. We believe that the presented approach might provide additional insights into the factors which impact the development of smart regions and cities and initiate further studies on the topic.

The purpose of this article is to identify the directions and scope of inclusion of the residents’ participation into the concept of city’s sustainable development and the smart city concept, taking into account national and international conditions, on the basis of Wroclaw’s practices in 1998–2018. Many researchers have emphasized the necessity of including residents’ participation in both the smart city concept and the sustainable city development concept, but they do not focus on a coherent linking of these activities during evolution toward a sustainable smart city (SSC). The in-depth case study analysis considered, i.e., three subsequent Wroclaw development strategies (1998–2018) and implementation of the smart city concept in Wroclaw (2015–2018) with particular emphasis on the issue of public participation and sustainable development of the city. The results of study show that in the case of the developments in the activities of smart city and sustainable city development carried out by Wroclaw, it is possible to identify two different approaches to residents’ participation in city activities. In Wroclaw, ‘residents’ participation’ in the framework of the sustainable city development activities currently covers all theoretical levels of participation, while within the smart city activities it focuses mainly on the participatory budget and the limited use of ICT. The conducted research indicates that for the implementation of the SSC concept it would be important to integrate these approaches in order to ensure the full range of residents’ participation in accordance with theoretical postulates. The conducted analysis therefore covers mostly unexplored area of research, which is important from the point of view of a city’s evolution toward becoming a sustainable smart city. The conclusions from the research are also an empirical contribution to the analysis of the changes of cities towards SSC and indicate the need for further, extended research on the undertaken problem.

City administrators have begun to consider citizens’ perception as an essential enabler of smart and sustainable city development. In response to their need, our study mainly aimed to analyze the citizens’ perceptions related to the attributes of a smart city and to offer an evidence-based importance–performance analysis (IPA) technique, revised with triangular number fuzzy, to set priorities to develop it further successfully, taking Oradea, Romania, as an example. Specifically, we investigated varying the citizens’ perceptions regarding the attributes of a smart city across the thematic content analysis followed by an IPA approach to identify the attributes of a smart city that could be expected to advance its future development. The results show that most of our respondents appreciated the city administrators’ efforts and expressed relatively higher preferences for the fifteen smart city attributes of Oradea on which the local authorities should focus. The research brings valuable insight into the strategic decision making related to smart city development, which can serve academics and practitioners, complementing existing literature on the citizens’ perception of sustainable smart city development.

The article aims to identify and assess the factors shaping the development of sustainable and smart cities in Europe and their interrelationships. With respect to the objective, three research questions were formulated: (I) What are the factors supporting the development of sustainable and smart cities in Europe?, (II) What are the limiting factors (barriers) to the development of sustainable and smart cities in Europe?, (III) What are the main factors influencing the development of sustainable and smart cities in Europe? As part of the research process, the following methods were applied: horizon scanning, STEEPVL analysis, the Delphi method and structural analysis. The study involved 131 experts from 28 countries, whose articles on sustainable and smart cities development are indexed in the Web of Science database. The directions analysed include: smart governance and citizen participation; renewable energy microgrids with decentralised energy trading; delegating decisions to AI-based systems; and urban digital twins. The Delphi results unambiguously indicate three main enabling factors: access to external sources of finance; advanced digital infrastructure together with data integration; and a high level of cybersecurity and data protection. The principal barriers were identified as: a low level of integration across urban systems and a lack of data interoperability; limited fiscal capacity of local authorities; and institutional resistance to change and to the digital climate transition. The results of the structural analysis indicate that institutional governance, the maturity of data infrastructure and interoperability set the trajectory of change. The findings entail practical implications: institutional governance and regulatory transparency should be strengthened; diversified, multi-source funding should be ensured; interoperability should be prioritised; and AI and digital twins should then be scaled in step with capability development and a security-by-design approach.

Sustainable smart city development experience various challenges, such as legislation and policies, funding, infrastructure, and technological aspects. Numerous studies have highlighted the importance of sustainability concepts in smart cities' development. However, there is scarce research focusing on the challenges faced for the development of sustainable smart cities. This study aimed to develop a conceptual framework that provides critical challenges faced by private and government organisations, and the respective solutions of the challenges for the development of sustainable smart cities. Pakistan has been chosen as a case study that yields a total of 17 respondents from the executive, managerial, and operational levels of private enterprises and government organisations involved in smart city development. This research is a preliminary step towards providing insights and significance of infusing sustainability in the development of smart cities. The proposed conceptual framework can act as a practise guideline for practitioners to prepare themselves for sustainable smart city development.

While the global population continues to grow, more people are living in cities. In 2018, 55 per cent of the world's population lived in cities. By 2050, this is expected to increase to 68 per cent - almost seven in every ten people will live in cities. If sustainable development is to deliver to all people, urban development plays a critical role. The 'smart city' is now the playbook for resilient, sustainable and liveable cities, and smart technologies are creating daily touchpoints that make both huge and small impacts across all walks of people's lives. Today's cities and tomorrow's smart cities are intricately linked to the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development across its 17 goals. This paper first explores at-a-glance the fundamentals and layers that support smart cities, providing an overview but not a deep-dive into the technicalities. This includes, but not limited to, the policy and infrastructure frameworks, the data ecosystem including open data and big, data, the device level including Internet of Things and mobile devices, and the application level in general. Three dimensions of policy integration in smart city development is suggested, namely: (i) horizontal integration across sectors and disciplines; (ii) vertical integration across different governmental levels as well as linkages between national and local development; and (iii) a whole-of-society approach in smart city development with the engagement of the private sector and civil society. The nexus of smart city goals and the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is then articulated. Building on the key issues identified, a high-level analysis of global and regional metrics in accessing smart cities is done, emphasizing the importance of the cliche - what's get measured, gets valued.

The purpose of this study is to assess the potential of machine learning in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 11, which focuses on sustainable urban and community development. To reduce the impacts of increasing urbanization on the environment, it is necessary to prioritize the sustainable development of smart cities. Smart cities use information and communication technology techniques to enhance sustainability by improving resource management and reducing environmental impact. In this context, the use of artificial intelligence enhances the overall quality of life, which is a critical component of sustainable smart cities. Machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence, is crucial in promoting the development of sustainable smart cities. This study focuses on the application of machine learning in sustainable smart cities, ranging from energy management, transportation efficiency, waste management, and public safety. It highlights the role of machine learning algorithms to improve operational efficiency, minimize expenses, and reduce environmental impact. The practical use of ML in smart cities across several countries demonstrates its ability to handle urban challenges and increase sustainability. This paper discusses a variety of real-world initiatives that have successfully employed machine learning to develop sustainable smart cities, as well as in-depth studies of the ML algorithms used and the obtained results. The paper also covers the challenges of implementing machine learning into smart city projects, such as data quality, model interpretability, scalability, and ethical considerations. It emphasizes the importance of high-quality data, clear models, and the right use of machine learning tools.

PurposeThis study aims to assess the readiness of both citizens and the government for digital participatory planning (DDP) as a contribution to the undergoing transformative shift toward smart and sustainable cities to address the challenges posed by rapid urbanization. While much attention has been devoted to leveraging technology to mitigate these challenges, there has been a relative lack of emphasis on engaging stakeholders in the planning process in a smart and inclusive manner. DPP stands as a cornerstone for the development of sustainable and smart cities. However, before DPP can be effectively implemented on the ground, it is crucial to assess the city readiness for DPP to ensure its success. This assessment is undertaken as part of Oman's broader initiative to transition into sustainable smart cities in alignment with the goals outlined in Oman Vision 2040.Design/methodology/approachA generic evaluation framework was identified, validated and customized to the local context by experts using the pile sorting technique based on the social constructivism theory. Then, the revised framework was used to evaluate the readiness of a sample of local citizens and government officials in Oman for the DPP concept.FindingsThe inferential statistical analysis revealed that citizens are willing to participate in DPP when trust and transparency with policymakers are enhanced. On the government side, the results showed that there is adequate infrastructure that can enable DPP, and planners have a positive attitude toward DPP provided that trust in citizens' opinions is strengthened. This study concludes with a roadmap for preparation for DPP implementation in smart sustainable cities mandated by Oman Vision 2040. The findings and roadmap can inform policy development, decision-making and urban planning practices toward more inclusive, participatory and technologically enabled urban environments.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by emphasizing the significance of stakeholders' smart involvement in planning processes, social sustainability, evaluating city readiness for DPP and providing practical recommendations for DPP implementation in the context of smart sustainable cities. At a theoretical level, the study contributes a framework for assessing readiness for DPP and emphasizes that mutual trust is not only important for conventional participation practices but it is also essential for smart citizens. This study argues that a building or a city is not sustainable unless it is seen as such by its stakeholders, including the end users. Therefore, effective and smart involvement of the citizens in smart city planning is a precondition for the success of the future cities.

This research seeks to examine the implementation of SNI ISO 37120:2018 on Sustainable Urban and Community Development, Urban Services, and Quality of Life, along with SNI ISO 37122:2019 on Sustainable Cities and Communities, Indicators for Smart Cities, in assessing advancements toward smart and resilient cities. SNI ISO 37122:2019, which is identical to ISO 37122:2019, functions as a complementary standard to SNI ISO 37120:2018. These standards provide a framework for assessing urban sustainability and smart city development by establishing clear, measurable indicators. The SNI ISO 37122:2019 standard consists of 19 sectors and 80 indicators, which help cities evaluate their performance in various aspects such as governance, environment, infrastructure, technology integration, and public services. By implementing these indicators, cities can systematically track their development, identify areas for improvement, and enhance sustainability through data-driven decision-making. The findings of this study highlight the role of SNI ISO 37120:2018 and SNI ISO 37122:2019 in improving urban resilience and livability. These standards enable local governments to implement best practices for smart city transformation while fostering economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Adhering to these standards also enhances global competitiveness by aligning with internationally recognized benchmarks for urban development. By utilizing these frameworks, cities can ensure better urban planning, efficient public service delivery, and a higher quality of life for residents. The study concludes that adopting SNI ISO 37120:2018 and SNI ISO 37122:2019 is crucial in shaping sustainable and future-ready cities.

The Smart and Sustainable City Framework (SSCF) redefines the idea of ‘Smart City’ to having “Smart Thinking, Planning and Design” as fundamental for smart and sustainable city development. The framework focuses on the core values of “Smart People, Smart Place, and Smart Planet” that helps shape the city through innovative solutions with technology embedded as an enabler to create a more liveable, walkable, resilient and happy cities for all. Six elements of the Smart and Sustainable City Framework are discussed, which consists of “Smart Living”, “Smart Environment”, “Smart Mobility”, “Smart Infrastructure”, “Smart Governance”, and Smart Economy”. Smart Cultural Precinct (SCP) with the Cultural Triangle at its core in Central, Hong Kong will be used as a case study to demonstrate the use of the SSCF, together with recommendations for Hong Kong and suggestions for the broader application of the SSCF to help shape better cities.

A smart city is an urban policy innovation that can improve the community's quality of life by promoting environmental, social, and economic sustainability issues. The involvement and participation of civil society in developing smart cities is a major issue in implementing inclusive smart cities. However, gender issues are often forgotten in developing sustainable smart cities. This article examines two issues. First, the importance of gender issues integration in the development of sustainable smart cities in Indonesia. Second, the importance of gender mainstreaming policy in the development of smart cities in Indonesia. This is a desk study or literature study. Data were obtained from research results published in national and international journals. Data was obtained through accredited journal search engines, namely google scholar, SagePub and Researchgate. The research results show that development of smart city in Indonesia is not yet gender responsive, causing gender inequality gender and excluding women from development. To respond to this, thus there is a need for gender mainstreaming policies in developing smart cities through an overview of the challenges of gender mainstreaming in developing smart cities. Thus, this research recommends a gender mainstreaming strategy as a policy in developing smart cities in Indonesia. Gender mainstreaming policy in smart city development need to be to create a smart city life that is just, inclusive and involves women in development.

Over the past decade, digital technologies, as part of the global smart-city agenda, have begun to form the backbone of our cities and to enhance service quality in urban infrastructure. It is widely argued that this approach will create smart cities that are efficient, technologically advanced, green, and socially inclusive. Along with this technocentric viewpoint, the sustainability ideology has had significant impact on the planning and development of smart cities in recent years—recoining the term as ‘sustainable smart cities’. In other words, this envirocentric viewpoint has led to consolidated efforts in the conceptualisation of the sustainable development of (sustainable) smart cities. The marriage of technocentric and envirocentric views is seen as the only way to constitute the 21st century’s ideal city form. It is also argued that, in this way, current and forthcoming severe global ecological, societal, economic, and governance challenges will be adequately addressed. This book aims to contribute to the conceptual- and practical-knowledge pools in order to improve research and practices on sustainable smart cities by offering an informed understanding of the subject to scholars, policy-makers, and practitioners. The book contains contributions offering insight into sustainable smart cities by providing in-depth conceptual analyses, and detailed case-study descriptions and empirical investigations from across the globe. This book comprises a repository of relevant information, material, and knowledge to support research, policy-making, practices, and experience transferability to address the aforementioned challenges. The scope of the book includes the following areas, with a particular focus on the approaches to, and advances and applications in sustainable smart cities: (a) theoretical underpinnings, and analytical and policy frameworks of sustainable smart cities; (b) methodological approaches for the evaluation of sustainable smart cities; (c) technological developments in the techno–enviro-nexus of sustainable smart cities; (d) emerging sustainability solutions and integrated actions from sustainable smart cities; (e) best-practice sustainable-smart-city case investigations from the Global North and South; (f) geodesign and applications concerning the desired urban outcomes of sustainable smart cities; and (g) prospects, implications, and impact concerning the future of sustainable smart cities.

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Requires Transdisciplinary Innovation at the Local Scale

This study examines how integrating digital technologies into government operations can enhance urban governance in smart cities. It specifically looks at how these advancements can contribute to the development of sustainable smart cities in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The research employs two analytical frameworks to assess how advanced technologies impact and integrate with government functions. The first framework examines the effects of digitalization on sustainable smart cities, while the second offers a holistic approach to optimizing government processes through digital transformation. The research demonstrates the various advantages of digitalization, such as enhanced public services, advanced infrastructure, and greater transparency and accountability. Nevertheless, obstacles like data security, privacy issues, and disparities in digital access are recognized, requiring cautious handling. The research affirms that while integrating digital technologies in government operations can significantly support urban sustainability, the strategy is crucial to manage potential threats and foster inclusivity and environmental responsibility. These models provide practical recommendations for governments to responsibly and effectively utilize digital tools, ultimately fostering the development of resilient, efficient, and inclusive smart cities.

The concept of smart cities is not a new one, but it appeared by the latest innovations and developments of new smart technologies. Smart cities of the future, digitized cities and augmented cities are new theories and ideas that represent new norms based on the implementation of innovative technologies in cities’ planning and design. The COVID-19 crisis has forced all governments and people worldwide to work from home. These contingency measures forced government, organizations and citizens to get deeply involved in exploiting smart and digital technologies to pursue their daily businesses (higher education institutions, schools, hospitals, banks, companies and government entities). Due to such emergency of lockdown actions in cities resulted from the wide and rapid spread of such pandemic globally, a need for less polluted, cleaner and sustainable urban spaces is highly vital to limit the coronavirus spreading. This research focuses on the dimensions, characteristics and indicators of smart and sustainable cities that engaged with sustainability by highlighting its contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and discusses its role in creating healthier cities in the age of COVID-19. The paper aims at developing smart and sustainable cities’ solutions in urban areas to confront COVID-19 impacts. The research methodology is based on two approaches: a critical literature review of the main concepts and definitions of smart cities, the integration between smart cities’ concept and SDGs in addition to highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on the urban environment with emphasis on the lessons learned and actions needed to be adopted; and an analytical approach that proposes a matrix combining both smart and sustainability indicators to achieve greener and healthier cities, yet to control the spread of coronavirus; a raising need for urban life amidst/after the pandemic and its crisis. The matrix couples both the goals of smart cities and sustainable cities in order to map the contribution to SDGs in attaining a better and sustainable future. Results indicate that newly developed measures, in planning smart sustainable urban areas in cities, can assist in the adaptation of and achieving SDGs in the time of COVID-19.KeywordsSmart and sustainable citiesliveabilitydigital technologyCOVID-19SDGs’ Mapping and indicators