Urban Stakeholders for Sustainable and Smart Cities: An Innovative Identification and Management Methodology

The global challenges that cities must face regarding sustainability, efficiency, integration, and resilience have found in the smart city concept a guideline of action as a model for urban development and transformation. The multidimensional nature of the smart city, along with the importance of id...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rafael Esteban-Narro, Vanesa G. Lo-Iacono-Ferreira, Juan Ignacio Torregrosa-López
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Smart Cities
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2624-6511/8/2/41
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850180593506058240
author Rafael Esteban-Narro
Vanesa G. Lo-Iacono-Ferreira
Juan Ignacio Torregrosa-López
author_facet Rafael Esteban-Narro
Vanesa G. Lo-Iacono-Ferreira
Juan Ignacio Torregrosa-López
author_sort Rafael Esteban-Narro
collection DOAJ
description The global challenges that cities must face regarding sustainability, efficiency, integration, and resilience have found in the smart city concept a guideline of action as a model for urban development and transformation. The multidimensional nature of the smart city, along with the importance of identifying key urban stakeholders and ensuring their engagement, are two widely recognized characteristics within the scientific community. However, proposals for the identification, classification, and management of urban stakeholders are very scarce and almost non-existent when considered in conjunction with the holistic nature of smart cities. Thus, the significant importance attributed to stakeholder engagement contrasts with the lack of clear guidelines to develop it properly. Based on an iterative analysis of the scientific literature combined with the cross-referencing of smart city dimensions, statistical analysis tools, and multi-criteria analysis methods, this paper proposes a new methodology for the identification and management of urban stakeholders. The proposal includes a comprehensive classification and a new framework for developing urban stakeholder identification processes at their early stages or the monitoring and assessment of ongoing or completed processes, including tools for analyzing the extent and homogeneity achieved. The practical application of the methodology to a specific case study is also discussed.
format Article
id doaj-art-9af22c98ddaf4902bb76693714ea0814
institution OA Journals
issn 2624-6511
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Smart Cities
spelling doaj-art-9af22c98ddaf4902bb76693714ea08142025-08-20T02:18:05ZengMDPI AGSmart Cities2624-65112025-03-01824110.3390/smartcities8020041Urban Stakeholders for Sustainable and Smart Cities: An Innovative Identification and Management MethodologyRafael Esteban-Narro0Vanesa G. Lo-Iacono-Ferreira1Juan Ignacio Torregrosa-López2Project Management, Innovation and Sustainability Research Center (PRINS), Alcoy Campus, Universitat Politècnica de València, Plaza Ferrándiz y Carbonell, s/n, E-03801 Alcoy, SpainProject Management, Innovation and Sustainability Research Center (PRINS), Alcoy Campus, Universitat Politècnica de València, Plaza Ferrándiz y Carbonell, s/n, E-03801 Alcoy, SpainProject Management, Innovation and Sustainability Research Center (PRINS), Alcoy Campus, Universitat Politècnica de València, Plaza Ferrándiz y Carbonell, s/n, E-03801 Alcoy, SpainThe global challenges that cities must face regarding sustainability, efficiency, integration, and resilience have found in the smart city concept a guideline of action as a model for urban development and transformation. The multidimensional nature of the smart city, along with the importance of identifying key urban stakeholders and ensuring their engagement, are two widely recognized characteristics within the scientific community. However, proposals for the identification, classification, and management of urban stakeholders are very scarce and almost non-existent when considered in conjunction with the holistic nature of smart cities. Thus, the significant importance attributed to stakeholder engagement contrasts with the lack of clear guidelines to develop it properly. Based on an iterative analysis of the scientific literature combined with the cross-referencing of smart city dimensions, statistical analysis tools, and multi-criteria analysis methods, this paper proposes a new methodology for the identification and management of urban stakeholders. The proposal includes a comprehensive classification and a new framework for developing urban stakeholder identification processes at their early stages or the monitoring and assessment of ongoing or completed processes, including tools for analyzing the extent and homogeneity achieved. The practical application of the methodology to a specific case study is also discussed.https://www.mdpi.com/2624-6511/8/2/41smart citiesurban stakeholderssustainable citiesassessment models
spellingShingle Rafael Esteban-Narro
Vanesa G. Lo-Iacono-Ferreira
Juan Ignacio Torregrosa-López
Urban Stakeholders for Sustainable and Smart Cities: An Innovative Identification and Management Methodology
Smart Cities
smart cities
urban stakeholders
sustainable cities
assessment models
title Urban Stakeholders for Sustainable and Smart Cities: An Innovative Identification and Management Methodology
title_full Urban Stakeholders for Sustainable and Smart Cities: An Innovative Identification and Management Methodology
title_fullStr Urban Stakeholders for Sustainable and Smart Cities: An Innovative Identification and Management Methodology
title_full_unstemmed Urban Stakeholders for Sustainable and Smart Cities: An Innovative Identification and Management Methodology
title_short Urban Stakeholders for Sustainable and Smart Cities: An Innovative Identification and Management Methodology
title_sort urban stakeholders for sustainable and smart cities an innovative identification and management methodology
topic smart cities
urban stakeholders
sustainable cities
assessment models
url https://www.mdpi.com/2624-6511/8/2/41
work_keys_str_mv AT rafaelestebannarro urbanstakeholdersforsustainableandsmartcitiesaninnovativeidentificationandmanagementmethodology
AT vanesagloiaconoferreira urbanstakeholdersforsustainableandsmartcitiesaninnovativeidentificationandmanagementmethodology
AT juanignaciotorregrosalopez urbanstakeholdersforsustainableandsmartcitiesaninnovativeidentificationandmanagementmethodology