A framework for incorporating smart city concepts into the management of municipal infrastructure

Abstract

Purpose: The paper presents a smart cities (SC)-enabled infrastructure asset management (SC-IAM) framework that highlights how municipal asset managers could use emerging SC-related generations of tools to enhance the way they manage existing urban infrastructure systems and discusses its components. Design/methodology/approach: A framework that cities can use to explicitly incorporate, smart city concepts in the monitoring and maintenance of city infrastructure assets. Findings: The paper also highlights specific ways in which such continued infusion could enhance the city engineer’s duties at the phases of monitoring and maintenance of a city’s assets. The framework can help justify prospective investments and policies that city governments are contemplating currently for incorporating smart city concepts in the management of existing municipal infrastructure. Practical implications: The paper strengthens the case for incorporating smart city concepts in municipal infrastructure management and thereby justifies prospective smart city-related investments that municipalities are contemplating currently. Originality/value: The paper presents a novel and practical framework that cities can deploy to explicitly incorporate, smart city concepts to support their monitoring and maintenance activities for municipal infrastructure assets.