The legal framework for smart city concepts: challenges and opportunities

The subject. The content of a smart city as a subject of legal regulation is revealed, taking into account various interpretations of both the concept itself and the models of smart cities developed in world practice and urban theory (technocratic model, triple helix model, quadruple helix model). Various options for legal formalization of the smart city concept in the Russian Federation are considered.The purpose of the article is to identify problems and deficiencies in the existing legal framework for smart cities in the Russian Federation and to develop proposals for overcoming them.Methodology. The methodological basis of this research includes, in addition to formal legal method, methods of comparative legal analysis, historical-legal method, and modeling method. Moreover, sociological methods were used.Main results. Based on the analysis of international legal documents, the necessity of transition to a comprehensive perception of a smart city is substantiated. This perception includes, in addition to the technological element, the achievement of sustainable development goals at the local level, involvement of all stakeholders (science, business, civil society) in the decision-making process, and effective interaction of all levels of public authority.Conclusions. The legal framework of Russian smart cities, represented by sublegislative acts implementing plans and programs, is characterized by flexibility, mobility, and inconsistency. The practice of implementing the departmental project for digitalization of urban economy in the Russian Federation, as well as related projects of safe city, environmental well-being, and digitalization of state and municipal governance, demonstrates the urgent need for streamlining and internal coordination of indicators included in the smart city standard.Furthermore, it is necessary to develop a unified approach to basic concepts of territorial structure and spatial development, and to overcome the confusion between municipal and administrative-territorial structure. Only on this basis is it possible to achieve a systematic perception of territories where comprehensive development using information technologies is ensured.