Smart cities, smarter management developing a smart framework for smart city projects management in Europe

The smart cities concept is currently considered one of the "hottest topics" in urban development, especially in Europe. Cities around the globe have been promoting and supporting smart city projects, reflecting the belief that integrating technology and infrastructure can enhance cities' livability, sustainability, services and competitiveness. Though a lot of research on the topic has been done, there are still limited insights into the managerial angle. This thesis research is thus undertaken to fill this gap by exploring the smart city through a lens of management in order to develop a deeper understanding of smart city projects. Also, it focuses more on the role of smart management in the smart city project success by viewing the smart city as a unique complex project and identifying smart city projects success practices and challenges. Through a quantitative correlational study, the thesis investigates the relationship between smart project management practices and smart city project success in different smart city projects located in Europe. Based on the analysis, a conceptual framework was proposed setting out a holistic view of smart city projects management.