ABSTRACT
Today many cities are interested in developing or adopting smart city frameworks, however, the complexity of the smart city concept combined with complicated urban issues make this a highly challenging task. Besides, there are limited studies to consolidate our understanding of smart city policymaking. The aim of this chapter is to bridge this knowledge gap by placing official smart city policy frameworks under the policy analysis microscope. The chapter approaches the analysis by firstly internationally collating the smart city policy frameworks of 52 cities. The methodology, then, progresses to a deductive content analysis of the identified policies with a thematic data analysis software. The investigation employs the main themes to identify common urban issues in smart city policies, namely smart economy, smart environment, smart governance, smart living, smart mobility, and smart people. The results help in addressing the research questions: What do smart city policies target in terms of key planning issues, goals, and priorities? How do smart city policies address these key planning issues, goals, and priorities? The findings inform policymakers, planners, and practitioners on the smart city policy priorities and provide insights for smart city policy decision-making.
