Evaluating sustainability of using ICT solutions in smart cities – methodology requirements

There is a need for verification of the sustainability potential of an increasing number of smart city initiatives. This paper discuss a set of requirements necessary to consider when developing a methodology intended to evaluate the environmental and socioeconomic sustainability impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions at a city level. A smart city definition is chosen and a model of the city is proposed, dividing the city into service sectors where ICT solutions are expected to be implemented. Requirements on a quantitative methodology for assessing the sustainability potential of ICT solutions in cities are listed, including transparency in selection of city boundary and results, and the importance of setting realistic scenarios and using publicly available data. The methodology activities presented include defining system boundaries, building scenarios and assessing the solution at a city level, and scaling the solution between cities.