What makes Smart Cities projects effective?

Cities that leverage data, technology, and interconnected systems have the potential to improve quality of life, promote sustainability, enhance public services and make civic processes more inclusive and participatory. They can also help cities respond to issues like climate change, resource scarcity, and inequity by helping governments and civic stakeholders move beyond reactive governance and adopt proactive strategies tailored to the dynamic needs of their communities. 

To better understand the impacts that Smart Cities projects have on residents, as well as the impact that engaging residents can have on the design and implementation of Smart Cities work, Network Impact spoke with over 60 national and local thought leaders and practitioners. Insights from these conversations were used to develop a Smart Cities Local Assessment Framework. The Framework is both a planning and an evaluation tool to guide projects and monitor patterns of impact.  This research builds on Network Impact’s work on assessing civic tech and public interest technology.

Core to any city’s ability to engage in smart cities projects are a set of readiness factors that facilitate success such as leadership buy-in and data governance policies. Most smart cities projects also move through a cycle from pilot to implementation and scaling, which also depends on culture (is there an existing culture that understands how to implement resident-centered technology?) and capacity (are there enough resources – staffing, institutional knowledge and financial support – to implement the project?).

Once projects are underway, monitoring progress indicators and outcomes becomes key. Progress indicators describe conditions that are necessary to address for a project or intervention to produce specific outcomes and impacts. They signal whether or not a project is moving in the right direction even if it has not fully achieved outcomes. 

The framework is designed to be flexible for different contexts so some areas of Smart Cities work are not called out, including specific issue areas (e.g. housing, mobility) and specific aspects of cities (e.g. public spaces, culture). The assumption is that the outcomes listed encompass those areas of work, and can be made more specific when the framework is applied. 

Once projects are underway, monitoring progress indicators and outcomes becomes key. Progress indicators describe conditions that are necessary to address for a project or intervention to produce specific outcomes and impacts. They signal whether or not a project is moving in the right direction even if it has not fully achieved outcomes. 

Considering how to apply the framework in your work? Contact us to learn more