Smart Cities: Definitions, Dimensions, Performance, and Initiatives

TLDR

The term “smart city” is widely used but remains ambiguous, with several similar terms often used interchangeably. This study seeks to clarify the meaning of “smart” in urban contexts by conducting a comprehensive literature review of relevant studies and official documents from international institutions. The authors review metrics of urban smartness, identify key dimensions and elements of smart cities, and assess performance measures and initiatives in selected cities.

Abstract

As the term “smart city” gains wider and wider currency, there is still confusion about what a smart city is, especially since several similar terms are often used interchangeably. This paper aims to clarify the meaning of the word “smart” in the context of cities through an approach based on an in-depth literature review of relevant studies as well as official documents of international institutions. It also identifies the main dimensions and elements characterizing a smart city. The different metrics of urban smartness are reviewed to show the need for a shared definition of what constitutes a smart city, what are its features, and how it performs in comparison to traditional cities. Furthermore, performance measures and initiatives in a few smart cities are identified.