Where Are Smart Cities Heading? A Meta-Review and Guidelines for Future Research

(1) Background: Smart cities have been gaining attention in the community, both among researchers and professionals. Although this field of study is gaining some maturity, no academic manuscript yet offers a unique holistic view of the phenomenon. In fact, the existing systematic reviews make it possible to gather solid and relevant knowledge, but still dispersed; (2) Method: through a meta-review it was possible to provide a set of data, which allows the dissemination of the main theoretical and managerial contributions to enthusiasts and critics of the area; (3) Results: this research identified the most relevant topics for smart cities, namely, smart city dimensions, digital transformation, sustainability and resilience. In addition, this research emphasizes that the natural sciences have dominated scientific production, with greater attention being paid to megacities of developed nations. Recent empirical research also suggests that it is crucial to overcome key cybersecurity and privacy challenges in smart cities; (4) Conclusions: research on smart cities can be performed as multidisciplinary studies of small and medium-sized cities in developed or underdeveloped countries. Furthermore, future research should highlight the role played by cybersecurity in the development of smart cities and analyze the impact of smart city development on the link between the city and its stakeholders.

Automated summary

Smart cities have gained attention in the academic and professional community. However, there is a lack of a unique holistic view of the phenomenon. Through a meta-review, this study provides a dissemination of the main theoretical and managerial contributions to the field. The most relevant topics for smart cities include dimensions, digital transformation, sustainability, and resilience. There is a focus on megacities of developed nations in scientific research, and addressing cybersecurity and privacy challenges is crucial in smart cities.