Dimensions Of Smart City Research Articles

Key Dimensions in Smart Cities' Rankings - Towards Enhancing the Quality of Life for Smart Cities’ Inhabitants

Abstract Motivation: Urbanization, demographic trends, globalization, and sustainable development contribute to the emergence of smart cities, which entail the intelligent integration of economy, governance, mobility, environment, daily life, and people. Smart city concept means a solution to support the growth of urban areas. One significant aspect discussed in the context of smart cities is the quality of life for their inhabitants. Smart cities are prevalent worldwide, but there is no universally accepted index for accurate and reliable global rankings. Essential criteria for evaluation include livability, health, technology, mobility and transport, economy, environment, governance, and sustainability. The primary objective of this paper is to address the following questions: How do smart cities enhance the quality of life for their inhabitants? What are the key dimensions and indicators used in smart cities rankings in the context of quality of life? Which cities are considered the smartest globally according to the most prominent rankings, and are there any European cities among them? Aim: The aim of the article is to explore the main dimensions and indicators in smart cities indexes and to present the first three smartest countries based on 2022 rankings. The article answers the question which of the key dimensions of smart cities' rankings are most consistent with the areas of improvement in the quality of life of the inhabitants of these cities. This manuscript may prove valuable for researchers planning to assess the benefits and challenges associated with smart cities.

Performative place branding and Brazilian smart cities: the strategic character of smart city positioning

Purpose This paper aims to address what it means to brand a city as “smart”. In other words, what ideas, understandings and actions are mobilized by the discourse of smart cities in a particular context. Design/methodology/approach Taking a brand interpretive approach, this paper uses deconstructive criticism to understand the performativity of smart cities within the Brazilian Charter for Smart Cities and to expose hegemonic power structures and the various colonizations that disenfranchise consumers and citizens of the Global South. Findings This paper finds that the branding of smart cities within the Brazilian Charter for Smart Cities is largely performative and rhetorical in nature. The authors identify those dimensions of the smart city that are materialized by this branding performance. For example, the authors identify how the Charter calls forth issues around technological solutionism, sustainability and social inclusion. At the same time, the analysis draws attention to the dimensions of smart cities that are disguised by such performances. Research limitations/implications The implications of the work suggest that the authors need to understand the designation “smart city” as a branding performance. More research is required in context to determine in exactly what ways smart city projects are being implemented. Practical implications Rather than adhering only to the rhetoric of smartness, cities have to work hard to make smartness a reality – a smartness constructed not just on technical solutions but also on human solutions. That is, the complexity of urban issues that are apparently addressed in the move to smartness demand more than a technological fix. Originality/value The research offers a novel lens through which to view smart cities.

Smart city development Models: A cross-cultural regional analysis from theory to practice

Based on the multiple definitions and cultural interpretations of smart cities, this study systematically compiled the components, standards, and development modes of smart cities in various regions of the world and proposed a new integration of smart city dimensions and operational framework based on the development process, aiming to provide a theoretical basis and practical orientation for the transition of future development of smart cities and the formulation of planning policies. The conclusions of study are as follows: (1) In the process of building smart cities, countries’ understanding of smart cities is guided by their indigenous cultures, presenting various perceptions of smart city definitions, components, and standards in different geographic regions; (2) Scholars have proposed various dimensions and combinations for the development of smart cities based on their regional cultural, technological conditions, and temporal contexts, aiming to explore how cities can become 'smart'. (3) With the accumulation of experience in the construction of smart cities, the individual-technology-culture (IndiTeCultural) dimension model, which is a combination of individuals, technology, and culture, demonstrates better alignment with the requirements of smart city development around the world. This establishes the foundation for the transition from theory to practice in crafting a future operational framework for smart cities. (4) On the basis of cross-cultural geographical analysis, drawing on the practical experiences of smart city initiatives in various countries and the rating levels of their progress, this study analyses the challenges and opportunities faced by smart city development and presents the problems that need to be solved urgently for more effective mechanisms for smart city development.

Next Generation Computing and Communication Hub for First Responders in Smart Cities.

This paper contributes to the development of a Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) communication platform with the key goal of embedding it into a smart city technology infrastructure. The framework of this approach is a concept known as SmartHub, developed by the US Department of Homeland Security. The proposed embedding methodology complies with the standard categories and indicators of smart city performance. This paper offers two practice-centered extensions of the NGFR hub, which are also the main results: first, a cognitive workload monitoring of first responders as a basis for their performance assessment, monitoring, and improvement; and second, a highly sensitive problem of human society, the emergency assistance tools for individuals with disabilities. Both extensions explore various technological-societal dimensions of smart cities, including interoperability, standardization, and accessibility to assistive technologies for people with disabilities. Regarding cognitive workload monitoring, the core result is a novel AI formalism, an ensemble of machine learning processes aggregated using machine reasoning. This ensemble enables predictive situation assessment and self-aware computing, which is the basis of the digital twin concept. We experimentally demonstrate a specific component of a digital twin of an NGFR, a near-real-time monitoring of the NGFR cognitive workload. Regarding our second result, a problem of emergency assistance for individuals with disabilities that originated as accessibility to assistive technologies to promote disability inclusion, we provide the NGFR specification focusing on interactions based on AI formalism and using a unified hub platform. This paper also discusses a technology roadmap using the notion of the Emergency Management Cycle (EMC), a commonly accepted doctrine for managing disasters through the steps of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. It positions the NGFR hub as a benchmark of the smart city emergency service.

Evaluation of Communal WWTP Management in Supporting the Smart Environment in Mlati District, Sleman Regency

Communal Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is a solution used in the management and treatment of domestic waste. Mlati District is an area that has 8 active Communal WWTP units spread across four villages. Management by the local community to the type of technology used in each region certainly has differences. This research aims to determine the benchmark for the effectiveness of developing one of the smart city dimensions, that is the smart environment in Mlati District. This research was conducted using qualitative research methods, with data processing and presentation carried out descriptively. The existing conditions of the Communal WWTP were obtained by field observation, the management of the Communal WWTP was then carried out descriptive analysis based on the observations, indepth interviews and secondary data and then continued with descriptive analysis to find out management in supporting the smart environment in the Mlati District. The results of the study show that the management of the Communal WWTP in Mlati District has been going well with minimal risk of damage and obstacles. Communal WWTP is the main infrastructure in domestic waste processing which brings significant changes to the region and society. The existence of a waste water treatment installation unit is considered to be able to meet the community’s needs for waste handling. Although waste treatment is not discussed significantly in the elements of smart city development, centralized domestic waste management in Mlati District has proven to play a role in supporting the realization of a smart environment in the region.

A Digital Transformation Framework for Smart Municipalities

Smart cities, as defined by Sustainable Development Goal 11, strive to make cities more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Digital technologies addresses urbanisation concerns, such as rising energy use, pollution, waste disposal, and social inequities. The Internet of Things (IoT) and data-driven technologies are essential drivers, with a focus on infrastructure and decision-making in smart cities and municipalities. Digital Transformation (DT) is a prerequisite for becoming a Smart Municipality. The research objective of this paper is to investigate the role of digital technologies in improving urban processes, focusing on Smart City dimensions for municipalities, namely smart governance, environment, living, and technology. Municipalities in South Africa, particularly in the Eastern Cape, used digital adoption to boost productivity and skill development. However, the need for standardised DT principles presents problems for transitioning municipalities into data-driven organisations. The paper also examines the global energy issue and how smart cities can contribute to energy solutions. Finally, the paper addresses the following research question: ‘How can lessons learned from the Eastern Cape Municipalities digital adoption be scaled to other developing nations facing similar challenges in energy management and urban planning?’ Using a survey method, it provides guidelines in the DT framework, offering empirical insights into Smart Municipality digitalisation.

Pametni gradovi usmjereni na građane

This paper examines the role of social media and citizen engagement in empowering public administration for citizen-centric smart city development. It focuses on the Smart Cities Marketplace, an EU initiative providing a collaborative platform. The study evaluates citizen engagement on Twitter, analysing posts from the Smart Cities Marketplace page. Objectives include assessing the representation of smart city dimensions: Smart Economy, Smart Mobility, Smart Environment, Smart People, Smart Living, and Smart Governance, and comparing engagement levels between posts with and without related keywords. Through quantitative and qualitative analyses, the study addresses citizen engagement and representation of smart city dimensions. The findings highlight the importance of innovative and tailored approaches to leverage social media as a catalyst for smart city development. Social media is pivotal in promoting collective accountability and shaping sustainable urban development, leading to adaptable, resilient environments that improve urban liveability and life quality.

Major Dimensions of Smart City: A Systematic Literature Review

Numerous smart city frameworks have arisen in recent years as a response to the global urbanization problem. The emergence of frameworks with their distinct dimensions causes confusion in the selection of a framework and the implementation of a smart city. Therefore, more thorough research on the smart city dimension is necessary to build a more comprehensive smart city framework. This study conducted a systematic literature review to find the most prevalent dimension in the subject by examining a collection of 30 papers from five reputable sources that discuss smart city frameworks. A total of 38 smart city dimensions were retrieved from 12 smart city frameworks and 9 smart city maturity models. The 38 dimensions are then categorized according to their similarity. This study results in six main categories of smart city dimensions, including economy, people, environment, government, living, and branding.

Smart City Development Strategy of Wonogiri Regency

Technology transformation in the smart city concept begins with the implementation of policy transfer to local governments. Wonogiri Regency is one of the districts that implement smart city policy transfer from the central smart city policy. So it is necessary to analyse regional strategies in implementing smart cities. Regional smart city strategy analysis is an analysis carried out to assess the strengths weaknesses opportunities and threats in order to get a picture of the capacity and capability of the region in implementing smart city development programmes. This research aims to analyse the smart city development strategy of Wonogiri Regency. With the regional strategy analysis, Wonogiri Regency can map the right programme according to the dimensions of smart city. So that the implementation of this smart city can run smoothly in accordance with the goals of the Indonesian smart city movement. This study took a locus in Wonogiri Regency, which has a sufficient SPBE index and was chosen to be one of the implementers of the Indonesian smart city movement. Researchers used qualitative methods to analyse the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Wonogiri Regency to develop appropriate strategies for these conditions. Researchers found that the smart city strategy is combined with other strategies to solve the problems of the Wonogiri community. The smart city action plan is formed from action plans for smart governance, smart environment, smart society; smart living; smart economy, and smart branding. The action plan must adjust to the strategy formed. The focus of the Action Plan from Wonogiri Regency is to provide integrated services ranging from data to applications.

Readiness of Tourism Branding in Supporting Smart Branding of Ambon City

One of the dimensions of smart city is smart branding where one of the elements is tourism branding. Tourism branding can be interpreted as an effort to make the city a tourist destination that has an identity and character so that it has a strong appeal. Ambon City, which is starting a smart city program with all the potential and problems, is faced with challenges in meeting the readiness of the smart city implementation as a whole. This study aims to identify and analyze the readiness of tourism branding in Ambon City by examining several indicators, namely facilities that support tourist comfort (amenities), accessibility, ancillary services and hospitality. The analysis method used in this research is descriptive qualitative. The results of the analysis show the unpreparedness and need for development of several indicators of tourism branding such as road conditions and transportation access to tourist attractions, availability of eating spots and lodging, availability of tour guide services, travel agents, and tourist information. However, some things have started positively such as promotional innovations and tourist services that utilize information technology.

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

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.

Profiling Citizens in the Smart City: A Quantitative Study in Wallonia

Based on the assumption that citizens can participate in smart city development, this paper aims to capture the diversity of their profiles and their positioning towards smart city dynamics. The article starts with a literature review of some models of citizens to better understand how they could be portrayed in the smart city era. Considering that there is no “general citizen” and that usual typologies remain restrictive, we construct tailor-made personas, i.e., fictitious profiles based on real data. To this end, we present the results of a large-scale survey distributed to highly educated Walloon people in the framework of a general public exhibition. The profiling focuses on three aspects: (1) perception of smart city dimensions, (2) intended behavior regarding smart city solutions, and (3) favorite participatory methods. The collected answers were first analyzed with descriptive and nonparametric statistics, then classified with a k-means cluster analysis. The main results are five personas, which highlight the coexistence of different citizen groups that think and behave in a specific way. This process of profiling citizens’ priorities, behaviors, and participatory preferences can help professional designers and local governments to consider various citizens’ perspectives in the design of future smart solutions and participatory processes.

Assessing the Progress of Smart Cities in Saudi Arabia

Information and communication technology is changing the manner in which urban policies are designed. Saudi Arabia bases its smart initiative on the use of information and communication technologies in six dimensions, including economy, people, environment, living, mobility, and governance to improve quality of life and sustainable environment. This study draws on four Saudi Arabian cities including Riyadh, Makkah, Jeddah, and Medina, and aims to analyze their progress in the transformation into smart cities. The six identified areas were assessed using 57 indicators based on national and international information and literature. The results show that the four cities are progressing successfully into smart cities, with the highest progress evident for smart economy and the lowest progress for smart mobility in all investigated cities. Study findings show that Riyadh has made the most progress in the six smart city dimensions, concluding that Riyadh has been efficiently executing the smart city initiative with an aim to be a unique model in the world.

MaaS Implications in the Smart City: A Multi-Stakeholder Approach

Cities worldwide are calling for smart mobility strategies to tackle the negative externalities of their transport networks. Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is expected to introduce a new mobility model that promotes smarter and more sustainable urban futures. Given the novelty of the concept, this paper explores the implications that might arise from the implementation of MaaS in today’s metropolises in relation to the six dimensions of smart cities: smart governance, smart economy, smart mobility, smart environment, smart people, and smart living. To this end, 42 semi-structured interviews with MaaS stakeholders were conducted in Madrid (Spain). Thematic analysis identified a set of 35 urban implications. The success of MaaS requires more than the mere deployment of technologies and must be supported by the reorganisation of institutional structures, the reform of the regulatory scenario, the stimulation of innovation-based entrepreneurship, the promotion of environmental awareness, the encouragement of cultural transition, and the consideration of the public sphere. Overall, valuable insights are identified for policymakers when designing MaaS. Assessment of multiple stakeholders’ perspectives enables a holistic understanding of these strategies and thus maximises their potential to address the limitations of our complex mobility systems in meeting urban sustainability goals.

Research trends in the application of big data in smart cities—A literature review

AbstractIn this study, we review articles published in academic journals. in the last 5 years at the intersection of big data and the smart city context. Based on a dataset of 192 articles, we use content analysis to identify recent trends and future research directions. The most influential research areas identified include using big data analytics, electric vehicle integration, and citizen‐centric big data, while the most recent research area that emerged is green space. Our results highlight how big data can influence eight different dimensions of smart cities, with smart mobility attracting the most attention from researchers in the application of big data in smart cities. In contrast, smart people and smart economy are the least explored dimensions from this perspective.

Human-centric, sustainability-driven approach to ranking smart cities worldwide

As cities worldwide adopt various high-tech solutions to solve emerging urban problems, transition toward greater smartness becomes a global trend. The question, however, remains how the cities’ progress towards greater smartness can be monitored and measured. Although different smart city (SC) classifications exist, these classifications are not always balanced, with some of them placing an emphasis on ICTs and infrastructure, while others prioritize social performance of cities and their physical environment. In this study, we suggest a relatively simple SC ranking system, based on two basic principles – direct relevance to human welfare and equal representation of key dimensions of sustainability. The proposed assessment system, composed of nine quantitative metrics, is applied to 100+ major cities worldwide, helping us to identify the best and the worst SC performers. As the study also reveals, there are clear regional differences in the interpretation components and underlying dimensions of SCs with an emphasis on “economy and technology” in North America, “the environment” in Europe, and “society” in Asia.

Theoretical foundations of the smart city concept

The article deals with smart city concepts and their theoretical definitions. A smart city must have a smart social system integrated into the city’s activities and management processes. The smart city is defined in the scientific literature by various dimensions. This article examines three main smart city dimensions: community, economy, public management. A smart city is characterized by the empowerment of representatives of the city community to actively participate in the management of the city’s operational processes. The smart economy quickly and resourcefully uses new opportunities, implements knowledge and innovations. Smart public management makes timely decisions and promptly implements them.

Unveiling the Smart City Concept: Perspectives from an Emerging Market via the Social Representation Theory

This study aims to investigate the perception of citizens about the smart city construct since, so far, there is no consensus on what a “smart city” really is. As a result of this, the term has been used in different circumstances and with different names and is associated with several conceptual variants. Thus, the novelty of this work is based on capturing this perception and comparing it with the definition of the smart city found in the scientific literature in order to identify similarities and cognitive gaps and refine the smart city concept—a still open knowledge gap. For this purpose, the Social Representation Theory was used, operationalized by the evocation of words technique. The study was carried out in Brazil, herein considered as a proxy for other emerging markets with regard to smart cities. The results indicated a highly technocentric view on the part of citizens about the smart city concept. In addition, citizens did not realize some dimensions of smart cities that are often addressed in the scientific literature, such as People, Citizen Participation and Culture. Finally, it was noticed that most of the existing scientific literature on the definition of the smart city comes from developed countries rather than the Global South—curiously, where the largest urban agglomerations with the biggest problems to be faced are located. Thus, research on the concept of smart cities in developing countries is necessary, which is one of the motivations for the development of this work.

Toward a societal smart city: Clarifying the social justice dimension of smart cities

Smart cities have gained prominence in theory and practice over the past two decades. While many aspects of smart cities have been explored, there has been a disproportionate focus on physical and technological elements at the expense of social justice and democratic values. Although there have been attempts to advance the ideas of human-centric or people-centric approaches, a comprehensive perspective encompassing social rights, democratic values, and social justice is still missing. To fill this gap, this study introduces the concept of 'societal smart city', discusses its dimensions, and clarifies aspects of social justice as one of the main dimensions of a societal smart city. In addition to theoretical elaborations, we offer a case study of Tehran, the capital city of Iran, which has recently invested significantly in its technological infrastructure. For this purpose, we conducted a questionnaire survey. Results of the Explanatory Factor Analysis (EFA) indicate that four key factors, namely citizen-centric governance (α: 0.92, loading 15 variables), inclusive services (α: 0.91, loading 11 variables), resilient infrastructure (α: 0.9, loading 8 variables), and information literacy (α: 0.91, loading 6 variables) are the main underlying factors of social justice in Tehran. The study highlights the importance of social justice as a major dimension of the societal smart city and provides new insights for urban planners and policymakers on how to realize a societal smart city that offers benefits beyond physical and technological advances.

Conceptual Model for Assessing Logistics Maturity in Smart City Dimensions

The advancement of new technologies and the increasingly inseparable presence of logistics systems in the daily life of cities, industries, companies, and society has been modifying how logistics processes are implemented in these environments based on technological innovations, internet, virtual businesses, mobility, and the use of multi-channel distribution. Together with these changes, urban centers have been connecting to the smart city concept as the understanding of this theme advances into the debate and improvements in the agendas of either public or private management. This research proposes a conceptual model for evaluating logistics maturity in the smart city dimensions. The method has a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, supported by the Delphi method, which uses a questionnaire and interview as a data collection instrument with specialists on the subject. We identified that qualifying logistics in the urban environment is complex and requires a specialized look at identifying cities’ structural, geographic, regional, social, and environmental characteristics. As a social–technological contribution, the proposition of the logistics maturity assessment scale in smart city dimensions can serve as an evaluative model of logistics, which means helping in urban planning and strategic management of cities, offering smarter solutions to the realities of urban spaces.