Can smart city planning enhance the sustainable transition of the E.U. capitals? A project and strategy-based smart, sustainable performance analysis in the programming period 2014-2020

Abstract Cities across the globe perceive their opportunities for digital transition pathways. This paper presents a project and strategy-based assessment of smart city ambitions in the light of sustainable urban development pathways in the European Union capitals considering the programming period 2014-2020. The purpose of the research is to understand better the smart city trends in Europe and identify any correlation between smart city and sustainability ambitions through the European capitals. The basis of the research was the official project result platforms of European funds with priorities related to smart cities. The collected best practices of transnational smart city projects provide statistics from the previous programming period and draw attention to the developing trends of smart city functions and the activity level of European capitals in the digital transition. Results show that between 2014 and 2020 nearly half of the capitals owned a specific smart city strategic document. Evaluating the smart urban performance of the capitals, it can be stated that most smart solutions were implemented related to mobility and environment in the previous period. Furthermore, it was also considered whether smart city projects could facilitate the shift toward sustainability. Based on the assessment of their planning strategies, a complex image of the European capitals has been revealed in their smart city development concepts; their strategic-level planning can be understood better, which is essential for policymaking in the era of digitalisation, identifying synergies with sustainable urban development ambitions, and monitoring the reached targets at the city level.