Strategy and Policy Implementation in Sustainable Smart City Transitions

This paper aims to understand the relationship between smart city strategies and policy consistency over time, and how this may affect smart city transitions. Using smart city strategy literature, and adopting strategic management and policy studies theory, it is suggested that smart city strategies guide policies at the local level, creating policy content consistency. In turn, this consistency supports the transition to a smart city. A dynamic topic modelling analysis focusing on two cities, London and Melbourne, provides evidence for this idea. Based on these findings, it is further suggested that embodying environmental or sustainability objectives in the smart city strategy can promote a sustainable smart city transition. Indeed, this paper reflects on the potential smart cities have to contribute to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities, as well as SDGs 9 and 13