Understanding the dynamic relationship between smart city implementation and urban sustainability*

Understanding the dynamic relationship between Smart City Implementation (SCI) and urban sustainability can provide an effective reference for future SCI for urban sustainability. This study explored this relationship using data from 77 smart cities in China from 2012 to 2017. The coupling coordination degree model was used to evaluate coordinated development levels of smartness and sustainability, and the Panel Vector Auto-Regression (PVAR) model was adopted to explore how three dimensions of smartness, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), human capital, and smart governance, dynamically influence urban sustainability. Further, the 77 smart cities were classified according to SCI status, economic development level, and population density to conduct the PVAR model. Results showed that the two subsystems of urban smartness and sustainability are coordinated, and coordinated degrees exhibited an upward trend. The impacts of ICT, human capital, and smart governance on urban sustainability differed in smart cities with different contexts. ICT and smart governance had a long-term positive impact on urban sustainability, while human capital did not have an overall significantly positive impact. Policy implications are proposed to better implement smart city initiatives for urban sustainability.

Automated summary

This study explores the dynamic relationship between Smart City Implementation (SCI) and urban sustainability using data from 77 smart cities in China. The results indicate that there is a coordinated development between urban smartness and sustainability, which is trending upwards. The impacts of ICT, human capital, and smart governance on urban sustainability differ in smart cities with different contexts.