Sustainable development factors governing the smart evolvement of developing countries

Urbanisation problems could be solved when cities adopt the smart city concept. However, the creation of smart cities without incorporating sustainable development principles from the onset could render the intended solutions nullified, due to the anticipated effect of an unsustainable smart city on the environment. The aim of this paper is to identify the key sustainable development factors of smart cities and the challenges of creating smart sustainable cities in developing countries. The study adopted positivism research philosophy using deductive approach and purposive sampling technique. Close-ended questionnaires were used, and 76 responses were retrieved. Cronbach alpha test, mean score ranking and relative importance index were employed to analyse the data in the study. The findings emphasise the key sustainable development factors of smart cities, such as improving recyclable and reusable water treatment systems and adopting renewable energy sources. Furthermore, the main challenging factors were identified, such as lack of preparedness on the side of government, and the financial inclusiveness of the creation of smart sustainable cities. The study provides insight into factors which must be considered to ensure the sustainability of smart cities, and barriers which must be understood when creating smart sustainable cities in developing countries.