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Open research questions in Smart Cities and Technologies

533 gap statements mined from Smart Cities and Technologies papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 2,248 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

Choosing where to publish on Smart Cities and Technologies? See the ranked Engineering journals.

What the literature leaves open

  • The need to adapt tools to various ecological contexts. The challenge of ensuring equitable access to digital participatory platforms across diverse user groups. The requirement for careful consideration of interface usability and integration within existing institutional planning frameworks.

    Making Complex Environmental Data Accessible Through a Multi‐User Perspective: Learnings From the COUP System · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of knowledge on diverse stakeholders' experiences with collaborative urban planning systems. The need for digital tools that can support transparency, participation, and cross-sector collaboration in urban planning.

    Making Complex Environmental Data Accessible Through a Multi‐User Perspective: Learnings From the COUP System · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for solid rules for using UDTs effectively. The lack of better cooperation between various city systems. The absence of comprehensive models and universal standards for UDTs.

    A Review of Urban Digital Twins Integration, Challenges, and Future Directions in Smart City Development · 2024 · DOI

  • The lack of comprehensive analysis of the integration of mobile roaming, WiFi4EU, and the smart city concept. The need to address the challenges associated with this integration, such as ensuring interoperability and data privacy. The importance of promoting digital inclusion and sustainable development in the European Union.

    Sustainable Connectivity—Integration of Mobile Roaming, WiFi4EU and Smart City Concept in the European Union · 2024 · DOI

  • The lack of a unified measurement methodology or measurement system for AI development indicators. The need to address endogeneity issues in the study. The challenge of implementing AI technology in different regions with varying levels of resource endowments and infrastructure development.

    The Impact of Artificial Intelligence Development on Urban Energy Efficiency—Based on the Perspective of Smart City Policy · 2024 · DOI

  • The lack of a robust assessment framework for evaluating the 'smartness' of university campuses. The need for a holistic understanding of the indicators necessary for assessing the 'smartness' of university campuses. The gap in understanding how to assess a university campus's 'smartness' effectively.

    Unpacking Smart Campus Assessment: Developing a Framework via Narrative Literature Review · 2024 · DOI

  • They also mention the limitations of prior frameworks and the need for a more adaptable approach.

    An AI-Based Evaluation Framework for Smart Building Integration into Smart City · 2024 · DOI

  • There is a challenge in designing effective system interfaces for preschool children. The research highlights the need for thoughtfully crafted systems that align with cognitive characteristics while fostering environmental awareness.

    Integrating Urban Mining Concepts Through AI-Generated Storytelling and Visuals: Advancing Sustainability Education in Early Childhood · 2024 · DOI

  • As smart city initiatives proliferate globally, whether they genuinely foster inclusive and participatory governance remains unclear.

    The paradox of smart cities: technological advancements and the disconnection from social participation · 2026 · DOI

  • Yet, little is known about how the twin transition imperative is approached and acted upon by city governments and what internal capabilities and support structures they develop to align the twin transition.

    The twin transition puzzle: Can city governments align digital and sustainability paradigms? · 2026 · DOI

  • Second, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that China's involvement in SSC implementation in Kyrgyzstan is direct or substantial; it is softer and harder to map.

    Safe and smart city in Kyrgyzstan: Exporting Chinese digital authoritarianism or enhancing people's safety and well-being? · 2026 · DOI

  • Visual generative AI (GenAI) is increasingly used to inspire design ideas, yet evidence on its responsible and collaborative role in urban placemaking remains scarce.

    Towards responsible use of visual generative AI (GenAI) for co-designing urban spaces: a case study from Derby, UK · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of representation of social complexity, ethical considerations, and stakeholder participation in digital twins. The need for a more collaborative and explainable approach to urban intelligence. The requirement for a framework that combines computational intelligence with ethical, participatory, and system-oriented design.

    Towards Agentic Urban Digital Twins (AUDiTs): advancing new urban science through Human-AI co-learning agents · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of research on AI implementation in municipalities.

    Implementing Artificial Intelligence in the Public Sector: Between National Strategy and Local Challenges · 2026 · DOI

  • Understanding how interaction is organised and institutionalised through routines, shared procedures, and stabilised roles remains underexplored, particularly regarding how non-routinised coordination becomes episodic and person-dependent, creating discontinuities between experimentation, formalisation, and scaling.

    Implementing Artificial Intelligence in the Public Sector: Between National Strategy and Local Challenges · 2026 · DOI

  • Our work provides evidence that a MOOC has the power and potential to be a useful tool for building a knowledgeable and skilful workforce for smart cities, when appropriate design principles are considered, and should be further explored and exploited.

    Effectiveness and key success factors of massive open online courses (MOOCs) for smart city workforce development · 2026 · DOI

  • The future of AI is its own conclusion. There is a distinct prospect that AI will fade into the background. There is a possibility that AI will internally combust as its generality becomes too diffuse.

    The evolution of AI in city planning · 2026 · DOI

  • There is no template available for informing urban planning using AI tools. The generality of AI may become too diffuse.

    The evolution of AI in city planning · 2026 · DOI

  • Spatial asymmetries in digital trust across the Mediterranean region, - Uneven development in digital infrastructure, governance capacity, and civic engagement, - Limited auditability and transparency in spatial data infrastructures, - Ensuring data integrity, auditability, and version control in geospatial data production…

    Spatializing Trust: A GeoAI-Based Model for Mapping Digital Trust Ecosystems in Mediterranean Smart Regions · 2025 · DOI

  • Deploy the system in real-world governance settings, such as municipal planning departments or regional data platforms, to assess its practical utility and potential for adoption - Explore alternative infrastructures based on proof-of-stake consensus models or private, permissioned blockchains with lower computational overhead - Refine and govern the ontologies used for metadata enrichment and product annotation…

    Spatializing Trust: A GeoAI-Based Model for Mapping Digital Trust Ecosystems in Mediterranean Smart Regions · 2025 · DOI

  • Further study on the impact of AI development on urban energy efficiency in different regions, - Research on the relationship between human capital level and AI technology development, - Investigation on the effect of financial independence on AI technology…

    The Impact of Artificial Intelligence Development on Urban Energy Efficiency—Based on the Perspective of Smart City Policy · 2024 · DOI

  • To fill the critical gap in the research on the determinants of the RPI in the SCC context, this study developed a novel conceptual model by extending the TPB to analyze the effects of self-driven and externally-driven factors on the RPI from the perspectives of residents’ psychology and external environment.

    Exploring determinants of residents’ participation intention towards smart community construction by extending the TPB: a case study of Shenzhen city · 2024 · DOI

  • The development of Green AI strategies to reconcile computational performance with environmental responsibility. The exploration of federated and edge learning to minimize data movement and energy consumption. The investigation of institutional innovation and regulatory foresight to support the effective deployment of AUDiTs.

    Towards Agentic Urban Digital Twins (AUDiTs): advancing new urban science through Human-AI co-learning agents · 2026 · DOI

  • SC9: Digital literacy and skills training programs. Bansal and Choudhary,; Nedungadi et al., SC10: Availability and maintenance of urban green spaces.

    Assessing Interlinkages Between Sustainable Urbanization and Economic Inequality Using an Integrated AHP-DEMATEL-TOPSIS Approach · 2026 · DOI

  • SC4: Access to safe drinking water. Ghosh et al.,; Stock, SC5: Availability of affordable and adequate housing. SC6: Reliable and equitable energy supply (electricity). Agarwal et al.,; Rao and Biswas, Kamani and Ardehali,; Das et al., SC7: Broadband and mobile internet access across socioeconomic groups.

    Assessing Interlinkages Between Sustainable Urbanization and Economic Inequality Using an Integrated AHP-DEMATEL-TOPSIS Approach · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Smart Cities and Technologies

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The lack of knowledge on diverse stakeholders' experiences with collaborative urban planning systems (“Making Complex Environmental Data Accessible Through a Multi‐User Perspective:…”, 2026); (2) As smart city initiatives proliferate globally, whether they genuinely foster inclusive and participatory governance remains unclear (“The paradox of smart cities: technological advancements and the disconnection…”, 2026); (3) Little is known about how the twin transition imperative is approached and acted upon by city governments and what internal capabilities and support structures they develop to align the twin transition (“The twin transition puzzle: Can city governments align digital and…”, 2026); (4) Visual generative AI (GenAI) is increasingly used to inspire design ideas, yet evidence on its responsible and collaborative role in urban placemaking remains scarce (“Towards responsible use of visual generative AI (GenAI) for co-designing urban…”, 2026); (5) The lack of representation of social complexity, ethical considerations, and stakeholder participation in digital twins (“Towards Agentic Urban Digital Twins (AUDiTs): advancing new urban science…”, 2026). 533 gap statements have been mined from Smart Cities and Technologies papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 2,248 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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