Conceptualising Social Sustainability in a Smart City

Smart cities are centres of technological innovations, driving sustainability through the smart use of resources. The three pillars of sustainability are economic, environmental, and social. Often, the initial thrust of these innovations lies in driving economic growth and preventing environmental damage. Social sustainability is frequently overlooked at this stage. This, instead of creating desirable outcomes for smart cities, creates a social divide and conflicts and hinders the ability of smart cities to promote sustainable practices. This study conducts a Systematic Literature Review to identify the factors and sub-factors that drive social sustainability goals and should therefore be the focus of policy-making in a smart city framework. The study uses the Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) approach to create a hierarchy of the identified sub-factors. Knowledge transfer, community development, and cultural sustainability are derived as the key drivers of social sustainability.