The unprecedented urbanization in the 21st century has necessitated a critical reassessment of how cities are designed, managed, and experienced by their increasingly diverse populations. The data from 2020 reveals that urban population exceeds 4.4 billion, representing over 56% of the global population. Projections indicate that this percentage could rise to 68% by 2050 (United Nations, 2019), highlighting a dramatic shift towards urban living. This rapid increase in urban dwellers intensifies the pressures on existing infrastructure, challenging cities to accommodate growing transportation, housing, energy, and public service needs. Moreover, the surge in urban populations exacerbates critical issues concerning sustainability, governance, and social equity (Jiboye, 2011; Rice and Hancock, 2016). These challenges require urgent attention, as the strain on resources often leads to environmental degradation, decreased quality of life, and widening disparities among urban residents.

The “smart city” concept is a pivotal framework for rethinking urban life in response to these complex challenges. Smart cities leverage advanced information and communication technologies (ICT) and sophisticated data analytics to enhance urban living quality (Caragliu et al., 2011). These technologies enable more efficient management of city services (Marsal-Llacuna et al., 2015), improve connectivity, and provide real-time data, which can inform better decision-making processes (Albino et al., 2015). For instance, smart transportation systems can alleviate traffic congestion, while energy management solutions can optimize resource consumption, contributing to environmental sustainability and economic efficiency (Airaksinen et al., 2016).

Implementing smart technologies in urban settings signifies a complex evolution beyond simply upgrading physical infrastructure; it marks a fundamental shift in social interactions, participatory processes, and governance structures that form the basis of urban life (Caputo et al., 2023; Kitchin, 2014). As cities increasingly adopt these advanced technologies, it is crucial to intentionally embed social perspectives into the planning and execution of smart city initiatives (Carvalho, 2015). Neglecting this aspect can lead to the unintended consequence of turning technological advancements into tools that reinforce exclusion and marginalization instead of fostering genuine empowerment for all community members (Söderström, 2014).

Previous smart city research emphasizes social aspects, including opportunities related to governance, citizen engagement, education, and innovation, as evidenced by theory (Ahvenniemi et al., 2017) and practice (Ahvenniemi and Huovila, 2021). Recently, it was also suggested that social smart city research primarily relates to social media, social networks, social innovation, and social inclusion (Ebrahiem et al., 2024). More importantly, related research is dominated by studies addressing various risks, including the digital divide (Shayan et al., 2020), lack of inclusiveness (Makkonen and Inkinen, 2024), public acceptance (Mutambik, 2023), privacy concerns (Xia et al., 2023), cybersecurity threats (Kitchin and Dodge, 2019), and technocratic governance (Viitanen and Kingston, 2014) with risks of vendor lock-in (Komninos et al., 2013). The risk of the technocratic, top-down corporate model is that the needs of citizens and local communities are neglected (Kummitha and Crutzen, 2017; Townsend, 2013). Therefore, human needs must guide technology deployment so that technology does not become more important than related urban development needs (Huovila et al., 2019). Despite the wide variety of studies, the present research identifies a gap in research on the social aspects of smart cities (Colding et al., 2024), which this study aims to address.

Consequently, while the allure of advanced technology continues to dominate public discourse and policy agendas, it is essential to acknowledge that the quintessence of truly successful smart cities entails a steadfast commitment to prioritizing the social dimensions of urban existence. This commitment encompasses a concerted effort to enhance inclusivity (Colding et al., 2024; Tekin and Dikmen, 2024), facilitate meaningful social participation (Levenda et al., 2020), and promote social equity (Buttazzoni et al., 2020). By doing so, smart city initiatives can avoid deepening existing socio-economic divides and work to bridge these gaps, fostering a more just and equitable urban environment for all inhabitants (Graham and Marvin, 2002). In this context, it becomes evident that the successful realization of smart cities requires an integrative approach that harmonizes technology with human experience and social dynamics, ultimately ensuring that technological progress uplifts and empowers communities rather than perpetuates disparities.

Such an approach recognizes that successful urban environments rely on cooperation between stakeholders—including government entities, the private sector, local communities, and academia—to realize the shared vision of equitable and sustainable urban spaces (Anthony, 2024; Rani et al., 2021). The smart city paradigm aims to create urban areas that are efficient and responsive and aligned with sustainability principles (Bibri, 2021; Yigitcanlar and Kamruzzaman, 2018) and social equity (Lee et al., 2023), ensuring a better quality of life for present and future inhabitants.

The imperative for comprehensively addressing the social dimensions inherent in the development of smart cities has emerged as a pressing concern for policymakers, urban planners, and community leaders alike, as articulated in Castelnovo et al. (2016). In this context, research emphasizing social perspectives illuminates the potential ramifications of emergent technologies on society’s most vulnerable populations and advocates for an inclusive and participatory framework in urban development initiatives. This socially focused research can effectively foster a more equitable urban landscape by ensuring that no demographic is marginalized in the evolution of smart cities (Hunter et al., 2021). Moreover, a critical examination of urban experiences alongside the technological impacts on prevailing social structures underpins the interdisciplinary research that draws insights from social sciences, geography, and environmental studies, thereby enhancing our comprehension of the intricate dynamics among technology, society, and urban space as highlighted in Kandt and Batty (2021) and Sharifi et al. (2021).

Over the past 25 years, many studies have delved into different social facets of smart cities, scrutinizing how technological advancements influence urban social practices and governance frameworks, with significant contributions documented in Bibri and Krogstie (2020). Despite these significant strides in understanding the social implications of smart city development, a discernible gap persists in the form of a systematic review and comprehensive synthesis of the extant literature. The current scholarly discourse appears fragmented (Mora et al., 2017), with research outputs disseminated across diverse domains, such as urban studies, sociology, information systems, and public administration (Bibri, 2018). This fragmentation not only complicates the ability of stakeholders to navigate the expansive intellectual territory but also underscores the necessity of identifying which theories, methodologies, and empirical findings have exerted the most profound influence, thereby informing future research trajectories in this evolving field (Glanzel, 2003).

The primary objective of this study was to comprehensively delineate the existing social research on smart cities while simultaneously identifying the critical factors, including the distribution of topics, knowledge bases, and the research frontiers in the field that constitute the existing body of knowledge as documented in Zhao et al. (2019). To achieve this aim, a bibliometric analysis was conducted, addressing several pivotal research questions essential for understanding the landscape of this evolving field. Specifically, the analysis investigated the trends in publication activity related to social focus in smart city research since 2000, thereby providing insights into the growth and development of this area of inquiry. Furthermore, this study identified the key authors and institutions that have significantly contributed to this body of literature, highlighting the collaborative networks and intellectual leadership that shape the discourse. In addition, the research explored the prevalent subject areas within the literature. It examined how these themes have evolved over time, offering a nuanced understanding of the shifting focus within the field. Finally, by identifying existing gaps in the current literature, this analysis proposed directions for future research, thereby contributing to advancing knowledge and formulating effective strategies for implementing socially-oriented smart city initiatives.

This study presents a bibliometric review of smart city research from a social perspective, addressing its evolution, thematic focuses, dissemination patterns, significant works, authors, and relevant journals (Rejeb et al., 2022). A bibliometric review is a subset of systematic reviews (Hallinger and Kovačević, 2022). It is a quantitative method that uses statistical and mathematical tools to analyze bibliographic data from a large set of documents (Marvi and Foroudi, 2023; Mulay et al., 2020) to identify patterns, trends, and impact of major work within a certain field (Passas, 2024). It does not focus on the detailed examination of individual studies or the synthesis of research findings but rather on identifying patterns and trends in literature (Hallinger and Kovačević, 2022). This methodology shows the state of the art of the literature by using quantitative methods for exploring topics in the literature as a starting point for understanding the literature in depth and in more detail (Marvi and Foroudi, 2023). Thus, this study aimed to identify trends and patterns in social smart city research, relationships among research constituents (authors, institutions, major works, thematic topics), and recommendations for future research, not to analyze individual studies.

We chose the Web of Science database for bibliometric analysis due to its reputation for quality indexing of peer-reviewed research, comprehensive bibliometric information that enhances analysis accuracy with tools like VOSviewer (RRID:SCR_023516), and the substantial number of available publications on smart cities sufficient to achieve our research objectives (Sharifi et al., 2021). For this bibliometric analysis, we utilized four key indexes—SCI-EXPANDED, SSCI, A&HCI, and ESCI—to comprehensively examine research trends and citation impacts across a variety of scientific disciplines, including social science, arts, and humanities (Rejeb et al., 2022).

Inclusion and exclusion criteria were established to focus more on the subject and limit the data. A preliminary literature review was performed to carefully select the most relevant search terms for literature on social smart city research. The first criterion was the simultaneous presence of keywords along with the keyword “smart city,” which was only searched in the article titles using the Boolean operators “AND” and “OR.” For example, the command AND socia* (Title) “smart cit*” (Title) OR communit* (Title) indicates that both keywords “smart city” and “social” or “community” must be present in the article title to be selected. The asterisk “*” at the end of keywords was used to ensure that all variations of the keywords could be included (Romanelli et al., 2021). For instance, instead of the term “smart city,” the term “smart cit*” was used also to capture the concept of “smart cities.” The presence of the search terms in the article title was considered necessary to exclude articles that would be out of scope. Other criteria for selecting articles included the year of publication, language, and source type, meaning only articles published after 2000, published in English, and published as review and research articles were selected (Agarwal et al., 2016). Based on these criteria, sources published before 2000, those published in a language other than English, or those presented as books or reports were excluded. The literature search was performed on July 22, 2024. Ultimately, 1,030 articles were selected for analysis. The PRISMA flow diagram is included in Supplementary Figure S1.

After preparing the dataset, it was analyzed using VOSviewer, a software tool for constructing and visualizing bibliometric networks. This analysis aids in identifying the sections with the highest citations and can serve as a roadmap for future research (Pérez et al., 2020). Furthermore, changes in the number of publications over time indicate shifts in topics and new social smart city research issues, including subjects such as digital governance and the impact of big data on urban policy (Allam et al., 2022). The study also examined authorship patterns to determine which authors and institutions are most active in this area (Zhao et al., 2019). By mapping co-authorship networks, researchers can gain insights into the collaborative patterns within specific fields and the overall structure of academic relationships that drive knowledge development in areas such as smart cities (Bindu et al., 2019). This analysis, therefore, serves as a valuable tool for identifying key contributors, understanding collaborative dynamics, and assessing the growth and influence of research communities over time.

Analyzing citation relationships among leading publications provides a better understanding of the intellectual foundation of smart city research from a social perspective. It demonstrates which theories and methods have influenced this field (Mora et al., 2017). This citation network offers a history of intellectual growth and guides future researchers (Rossetto et al., 2018). Finally, we identified prominent journals active in this area to assist researchers in making a more significant impact on discussions on the social implications of smart urbanism (Bibri, 2020).

The unprecedented pace of urbanization causes growing stress on infrastructure, sustainability, governance, and social equity, requiring urgent urban design and management rethinking. The smart city approach has created a constructive foundation for these challenges framed under one concept by incorporating emergent technologies that genuinely enrich urban livelihoods. Nevertheless, social views must be inculcated within smart city planning so as not to exacerbate existing inequalities technologically.

This study systematically analyzed the social focus in smart city research, pinpointing key contributors, trends, and gaps in research that could guide future inquiry in the direction of collaboration among various stakeholders in fostering equitable and sustainable urban spaces that can empower all community members.

We analyzed the research patterns, citation impacts, and authorship dynamics using the Web of Science and other bibliometric tools. Identifying key authors and their affiliated institutions further emphasizes the nature of research collaboration that pervades this area. This implies that the approach to confronting the multidimensional challenges arising from urbanization and smart technologies must be interdisciplinary. Further, the citation network analysis explains which works have been most influential, how they have interacted with each other and formed a blueprint for future research. The quickly increasing number of publications demonstrates the growing importance of social aspects in smart cities, covering key topics such as digital governance and big data’s impacts on urban policy. This research contributes to the theoretical foundations of the smart city concept. It opens a dialogue on the social value and risks of smart city projects to be carried by researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.

Preliminary observations about publication trends reveal a substantial increase in research output related to social smart cities, especially after 2015. This can be explained by increased public funding and international policies supporting smart city research, such as the launch of the Smart cities & communities program in Europe in 2014, the SDGs in 2015, and the New Urban Agenda in 2016. Janik et al. (2020) have reached a similar finding regarding smart and sustainable cities, showing that since 2015, the growth trend of articles in this field has gained significant momentum. This would hint that problems and social questions connected with urban environments have become more evident (Yli-Pelkonen and Niemelä, 2005; McHale et al., 2015). Therefore, the interest in studies in this subject area has grown correspondingly and become more interdisciplinary. Such ebbs and flows in publication rates signal broader socio-political dynamics, shifting funding priorities, emerging urban challenges, and the ever-changing face of smart city discourse. The renewed growth post-2018 would herald an academically responsive community ready and willing to meet the pressing needs of urbanization, technology integration, and social equity. Overall, the trend in research output evidences a vibrant response to dynamic urban challenges and underlines decisively that there is an imperative need for innovative responses placing technological development in a social perspective on smart city development (Joss, 2017). It testifies not only to the commitment of the academic community to real-world issues but also to an opportunity for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to collaborate on making smart city initiatives more effective and inclusive (Kogan and Lee, 2014; Sarker, 2022).

Results emerging from theme analysis of smart city literature indicate nuanced comprehension of the connectedly pertinent dimensions of shaping urban governance and development. Four clear-cut clusters are identified in several shades of variation within smart city research (see Figure 8).

The first cluster depicts the characteristics of management and governance. Governance, sustainability, and citizen participation are examples of keywords underpinning community involvement to enhance the quality of life. Therefore, the most efficient governance strategies should make provisions for citizens to become involved (Mora et al., 2023; Nastjuk et al., 2022). The second cluster points toward security and communication technology, finding the linkage between such critical concepts as privacy and the Internet of Things with the necessity of security in an urban setting that is becoming increasingly digitized (Medaglia and Serbanati, 2010; Sfar et al., 2018). The third cluster, on information management, integrates social media and big data with AI technologies such as machine learning and deep learning. It again illustrates that effective governance depends on effective data collection and analysis, calling for a meaningful data management framework to support informed decision-making (Provost and Fawcett, 2013; Pisa et al., 2020). Finally, the fourth but smallest cluster outpoints the integral role of ethics and sustainable development. It is suggested that ethical and sustainable development considerations should go hand in glove with technological advancements if urban growth is to be sustained (Chaudhary et al., 2024). In sum, such an analysis will not only reveal emerging themes in smart city literature but also detail how governance, technology, citizen engagement, and ethical considerations are interconnected and amplify the holistic approach imperative for smart city initiatives’ future evolution and success.

Looking more deeply at research over the past 5 years, four emerging hot topics emerge: (1) governance and citizen participation, (2) AI technologies such as machine learning, (3) blockchain, and (4) the Internet of Things. Recently, also the concept of “societal smart city” was suggested, emphasizing social rights and democratic values with technological innovations, considering social sustainability, citizen-centeredness, e-democracy, social justice, participatory governance, and cultural resilience (Alizadeh and Sharifi, 2023). It should be noted that this study was a bibliometric review using a quantitative method to depict thematic focuses, research trends, and patterns from a large set of articles. Further qualitative reviews are recommended to understand related theories and methods that shape social smart city discourse.

Co-authorship in this paper gives insight into network analysis of collaborative dynamics that typify the academic community of smart city studies. The presence of links between 69 authors with a cumulative link strength of 73 indicates a strong connectedness among authors, facilitating healthy idea cross-pollination. In this respect, Gabriela Pereira is a central author who has enabled collaboration within the cluster and with other network members. Centrality pinpoints these nodes’ strategic position in shaping research agendas and nurturing interdisciplinarity as an enabling resource in developing knowledge about smart city studies. Joint network studies reinforce such an idea by stating that such structures of collaboration are vital for spotting how the evolution within the scientific community takes place since it is usual to have central authors who have greater productivity and impact, hence underlining the fact that collaboration is at the very base of innovation and scientific output.

Institutional collaboration can only raise the quality and impact of research into smart cities (Anttila and Jussila, 2018). Granada University is the leading institution with 12 co-authored documents, underlining its centrality in the academic network, mainly due to the scientific output of leading authors such as Manuel Pedro Rodríguez Bolívar., corroborating previous findings (Dias, 2018). Similarly, Delft University of Technology reflects interdisciplinary research, a characteristic considered necessary but insufficient to tackle the complexity of smart cities (Roche et al., 2012). Further examples of this collaborative spirit of contribution come from the City University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Similarly, in this respect, the participation of Utrecht University and the University of Texas at San Antonio, each with eight documents, underlines the varied range of institutional collaboration needed for knowledge generation and problem-solving in urban areas. This collaborative landscape shows the combined effort required to advance social research on smart cities, as it showcases the interrelated nature of academic institutions toward providing solutions to contemporary challenges in urban areas.

Geographic co-authorship analysis shows that smart city research is an area of solid international collaboration represented by 80 countries and 419 links, which shows a dynamic global network. Besides, 16 clusters were detected, which proved the assumption that some countries often collaborate, which allowed them to develop greater depth and breadth of research output. The leading position of the People’s Republic of China, with most documents and citations, signals a significant influence, while the USA and Spain also have a high impact. However, it should be noted that there are differences between the sizes of each country’s academic communities, and therefore, analyzing the impact per scholar could lead to slightly different conclusions when considering the influence of scholars from different countries. Overall, the collaborative scenario enriches the research quality and allows multiple visions to approach the complex challenges that smart urban development implies. However, the results also show that developing countries are underrepresented in terms of number of publications. This presents a gap in current research. As those countries are quickly developing economically and technologically, it is recommended that smart and socially inclusive approaches be applied to tackle quick urbanization and the effects of climate change.

The co-citation analysis developed in this study outlines the intellectual landscape related to social smart cities, influential authors, sources, and references connected through complex relationships. Among 134 key authors with at least 20 citations, four distinctive research clusters are identified with substantial interlinkages: 6,989 lines of connection with a strong connection strength of 50,497. Eminent authors such as Kitchin, Caragliu, and Hollands are also influential in social smart city literature since they were very influential in the general smart city literature (Sharifi et al., 2021; Verrest and Pfeffer, 2019). Selection within the literature was also shown by the 17,568 possible sources, with only 270 sources passing the citation threshold. Journals such as Sustainability and Sustainable Cities and Society show a high number of citations and strong interconnectedness, thereby underlining their position in developing discourses on social smart cities. Reference analysis also identified 71 influential works that, taken together, have demonstrated thematic foci within the broad streams of urban technology and sustainability. This study highlights some of the interlinked research features in this domain, which may provide valuable inputs for further research and collaboration in advancing knowledge on smart cities and their socio-environmental consequences.

Based on this study, several recommendations can be made. Firstly, future research should focus on integrating social equity into smart city frameworks to prevent the exacerbation of societal inequalities. This could involve exploring such methods for community engagement in urban planning that amplify the voices of marginalized populations. Interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers will be crucial in addressing the multifaceted challenges of rapid urbanization in the coming years. Analyzing co-authorship networks can reveal significant collaborations and facilitate knowledge sharing across disciplines. Additionally, further investigation into citation patterns and influential works will provide insights into emerging trends and gaps in the literature, particularly concerning the ethical implications of technology use in urban contexts. Finally, expanding the geographic scope of co-authorship studies will illuminate how various regions tackle the challenges of smart cities and promote global collaboration, ultimately enhancing the quality and relevance of research. In this way, academia can be vital in fostering more equitable, sustainable, and innovative urban environments.