Integration of smart cities technologies for future urban development planning

Abstract

The study investigated how cutting‐edge smart city technologies (SCT) contribute to developmental strategies and foster sustainable, efficient, and technologically advanced urban ecosystems. The study is based on multi‐qualitative methods. In the first phase, comprehensive literature was reviewed using the systematic literature review (SLR). Based on the literature recommendations in the second phase, structured interviews were conducted with the professionals based on snowball and purposive sampling techniques. The data were collected from NEOM's working professionals for the interviews. In the third phase, the conclusions of the case studies were also added to generalize the findings comprehensively. The study proclaims that SCT plays a significant role in developing the smart ecosystem in smart cities. The study also investigated the NEOM's potential to elevate urban sustainability. Moreover, the study found that implementing the SCT enhances operational efficiencies, creates new job opportunities, and improves mobility and quality of life. The study also contributed to the equitable theory and presented the shared resources concept. The integration of SCT enhances the quality of life and attracts investment. The study also emphasized the availability of robust data infrastructure and stakeholder engagement to integrate SCT in urban planning and development successfully.