Stakeholder-inclusive multi-criteria development of smart cities

The evaluation of smart cities involves multiple stakeholder groups and has multiple objectives. Therefore, a multi-criteria approach is required to facilitate inclusive decisions. In view of covering classic fuzzy sets, the q -rung orthopair fuzzy set (q-ROFS) with parameters q can provide a wider range to represent uncertain infor-mation. Considering the flexibility and robustness of the Frank aggregation method, this study investigates a new framework for smart city evaluation by integrating the Frank operator with q-ROFS. First, it defines the Frank operational rule of q-ROFS, and based on this rule, it presents q-rung orthopair fuzzy Frank weighted averaging/ geometric operators. In addition, it analyzes some properties of the proposed operators and discusses their exceptional cases. Subsequently, by combining an improved TOPSIS model and the proposed operators, it pre-sents a novel multi-attribute evaluation approach within q-ROF situations. Finally, it proves the feasibility of this method through its application in a smart city evaluation.

Automated summary

The evaluation of smart cities requires a multi-criteria approach for inclusive decisions. This study proposes a new framework based on q-rung orthopair fuzzy set and the Frank operator, and proves its feasibility in smart city evaluation.