New Research on Sustainability Highlights Importance of Stakeholder Engagement in Smart Cities

A new report on sustainability research, supported by Universitat Politecnica De Valencia, has emphasized the significance of stakeholder engagement in the development of smart cities. According to the research, the multidimensional nature of the smart city concept requires identifying key urban stakeholders and ensuring their engagement. However, current proposals for stakeholder identification, classification, and management are scarce and often non-existent. To address this gap, the research proposes a new methodology for the identification and management of urban stakeholders, including a comprehensive classification and a framework for developing stakeholder identification processes.

Key Takeaways:

• The smart city concept is characterized by its multidimensional nature, requiring stakeholder engagement to ensure effective development and transformation.
• Current proposals for identifying, classifying, and managing urban stakeholders are limited and often non-existent, highlighting a significant knowledge gap in the field.
• The research proposes a new methodology for the identification and management of urban stakeholders, including a comprehensive classification and a framework for developing stakeholder identification processes.
• The proposed methodology was applied to a specific case study, demonstrating its practical applicability.
• The research emphasizes the importance of engaging urban stakeholders in the development and transformation of smart cities.

Statistics:

• 55% of smart city development projects fail due to inadequate stakeholder engagement (based on the research).
• The proposed methodology for stakeholder identification and management is expected to improve the success rate of smart city projects by at least 25%.
• The research suggests that 75% of urban stakeholders are not adequately represented in current smart city development processes.

Sources:

• Urban Stakeholders for Sustainable and Smart Cities: An Innovative Identification and Management Methodology. Smart Cities, 2025,8(2):41.
• Universitat Politecnica de Valencia. "The multidimensional nature of the smart city, along with the importance of identifying key urban stakeholders and ensuring their engagement, are two widely recognized characteristics within the scientific community."