Smart city development and improvement of quality of life in urban cities of Sri Lanka: citizen-centric approach

PurposeThe rise in the urban population has led to an increase in the magnitude of inequalities within the community. Smart city is an evolution of cities with technology trying to facilitate modern urbanization complexities. Success of establishing smart city initiatives can be considered as a social transforming quest with technology reaching goals at individual and collective levels, thus citizen engagement is critical in heavy technological-reliant projects. This study aims to investigate the potential of improving quality of life through a citizen-centric approach to smart city development in urban cities of Sri Lanka.Design/methodology/approachThe study was based on qualitative methods where information was gathered from 20 citizens residing across 9 provinces of the smart city initiatives based on the City Competitive Index rankings. Six-dimensional smart city model was used as a theoretical lens.FindingsTime management issues, well-being and bleak atmosphere were identified as key challenges; Citizen-centric approaches in Sri Lanka were not satisfactory, and there was room left for improvement of quality of life. Cultural integration and socio-cultural readiness were unique findings, whereas the need for smart education was dominant to overcome challenges in progressing in citizen-centric smart city initiatives.Practical implicationsThe results of the study would provide comprehensive knowledge through theoretical and academic contributions in developing countries. At the same time, policymakers, the community at large, government and service providers will primarily benefit from the practical implications of the study.Originality/valueThe study recommends focusing on a tailored smart educational approach, feedback mechanisms and sustainable policies to facilitate the progression of smart cities. Novel findings of cultural integration, socio-cultural readiness and safety should be focused more to ensure the success of smart cities in the South Asian context.