Understanding correlations between social risks and sociodemographic factors in smart city development

Abstract

Smart city development programs substantially impact the everyday life of individuals and local communities, which can convert to social risks and threaten societies, as well as smart city program objectives. Integrating digital technologies into urban areas affects individuals differently based on their sociodemographic factors such as age, academic degree, income, and gender. There are various studies on smart cities social risks, however, the relationship between sociodemographic factors and social risks in smart city development programs has not been thoroughly understood to date. This paper aims to prioritise social risks for smart city development and to investigate the correlations between these risks and sociodemographic factors by conducting a questionnaire survey. The results revealed that social exclusion is the highest social risk, and older adults and females are the most sensitive sociodemographic groups regarding smart city risks. The finding also indicated that income and academic degree have no meaningful correlation with social risks. This study highlights the significance of social risks and their correlations with sociodemographic factors for developing smart cities. It enables city authorities and local governments to create an effective risk management plan for their smart city development programs.