Challenges of Projects Supporting Smart Cities’ Development

Abstract

With diffusion of new technologies and accelerating developments in many aspects of daily life, projects relating to ‘smart cities’ development are evolving more than ever. This research aims to critically discuss and examine the challenges that the development of ‘smart cities’ imposes on the projects that support them. It aims to investigate how current approaches to managing, developing, and delivering projects might inform the specific challenges identified with smart city projects. Using a qualitative and inductive method, a ‘scoping review’ as the research design was utilised. The relevant studies have been identified, studied, collected and summarised throughout this research to produce an all-embracing view on the subject. The smart cities’ challenges have been mapped to available project management techniques, and their potential capacity for addressing these challenges has been examined. It has been observed that the chosen project management methodologies have the capability to fix some issues that face smart cities, but not all of them, since these methodologies, on their own, lack certain elements to constitute accurate results in the given context. However, considering modular levels/skills within these methodologies such as value management, benefit realisation, engagement, innovation, etc. has led to provide a basis for addressing most, if not all, the issues. Accordingly, this research concludes with proposing a simple and flexible ‘model’ for ‘smart cities’ projects development. Recommendations have been made to move the research forwards towards more value-centric approaches, increasing the social interaction amongst people – the users of smart cities – emphasising on the role of soft skills, entrepreneurial perceptions and innovation; and adapting new technologies. Arguably, this is what project management in general might need to concern itself with in any case to substantiate its existence in view of the challenges faced as a result of developing new types of projects. Hence, some hypothesises have been proposed to initiate further research studies.