A SMART CITY ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK: THE CASE OF ISTANBUL'S SMART CITY PROJECT

Smart city concept has gained importance in urban development literature and there have been many initiatives and projects around the world implementing the smart city concepts. There is a need for an assessment framework, customized for the local context. This study aims to offer a holistic assessment framework for smart city projects, which include smart city dimensions and application areas. The framework is then used for Istanbul's recent smart city project. The improvement areas are specified, and recommendations are made to increase the effectiveness of Istanbul's project by using this framework. The results show that technology as a dimension and smart mobility as an application area have the highest scores. Governance and institutional context dimensions as well as smart building and energy areas are recommended to be addressed more in the project. The framework can be used for other smart city projects around the world as well.