Smart Governance Approaches and Indicators in Smart Cities Measurement Frameworks

Many characteristics are associated with the development of smart cities (SC), including the use of technologies to cope with complex problems related to the high levels of urbanization in the cities, such as guaranteeing better mobility, environment, and a better quality of life to citizens. In this sense, SC frameworks include, in general, governance and citizen participation as an essential dimension to assess the development of SC, based on the perspective that all stakeholders should share and contribute to solutions and visions for the future of the cities. Considering monitoring as a critical strategy to assess the advancement of SC initiatives, many measurement frameworks were created by different types of institutions and with diverse purposes. In this context, this paper aims to identify how SC measurement frameworks include indicators related to smart governance and citizen participation. Based on previous studies that systematized SC measurement frameworks and their main characteristics, this paper identified the presence of governance and citizen participation indicators, including the classification of approaches addressed by frameworks in this dimension. The methodology is based on desktop research and comparative analysis of SC measurement frameworks. Among the study results, the authors highlighted the lack of transparency of the indicators proposed in the analyzed measurement frameworks and the presence of different concepts and approaches to measure smart governance and citizen participation in SC initiatives.