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Age Sustainability in Smart City: Seniors as Urban Stakeholders in the Light of Literature Studies

Author

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  • Izabela Jonek-Kowalska

    (Department of Economic and Computer Sciences, Faculty of Organization and Management, Silesian University of Technology, Roosevelt 26–28 Street, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland)

  • Maciej Wolny

    (Department of Economic and Computer Sciences, Faculty of Organization and Management, Silesian University of Technology, Roosevelt 26–28 Street, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland)

Abstract

Objectives: An aging population and declining birth rates are among the challenges that smart cities currently face and will continue to face in the near future. In light of the above, this article seeks to answer the following question: Are older people (seniors) taken into account and described in the literature on smart cities, and if so, how? Methods: To answer this research question, a systematic literature review was conducted using the Bibliometrix package in R. In the process of systematizing the publications, the authors additionally used the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method and qualitative text analysis. Findings: The research shows that relatively little attention is paid to seniors in smart cities in the literature on the subject. Among the few publications on smart aging, the technological trend dominates, in which researchers present the possibilities of using IT and ICT to improve medical and social care for seniors, and to improve their quality of life (Smart Living, Smart Mobility). In the non-technological trend, most analyses focus on the determinants of quality of life and the distinguishing features of senior-friendly cities. Implications: There is a clear lack of a “human” perspective on aging in smart cities and publications on Smart Governance and Smart People that would provide guidelines for making elderly people full and equal stakeholders in smart cities. It is also necessary to develop practical documents and procedures that define a comprehensive and long-term urban policy for elderly adults. The analyses contribute to diagnosing current and determining further directions of research on smart aging in smart cities. The results clearly imply the need to intensify social, humanistic, and governance research on the role of seniors in smart cities.

Suggested Citation

  • Izabela Jonek-Kowalska & Maciej Wolny, 2025. "Age Sustainability in Smart City: Seniors as Urban Stakeholders in the Light of Literature Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-28, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:14:p:6333-:d:1698883
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wang, Mengmeng & Zhou, Tao, 2023. "Does smart city implementation improve the subjective quality of life? Evidence from China," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
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    3. Yiyi Deng & Gengxin Sun, 2022. "Digital Twin-Based Modeling of Complex Systems for Smart Aging," Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, Hindawi, vol. 2022, pages 1-11, January.
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    5. Sally Caird, 2018. "City approaches to smart city evaluation and reporting: case studies in the United Kingdom," Urban Research & Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(2), pages 159-179, April.
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    7. Luca Mora & Mark Deakin & Alasdair Reid & Margarita Angelidou, 2019. "How to Overcome the Dichotomous Nature of Smart City Research: Proposed Methodology and Results of a Pilot Study," Journal of Urban Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(2), pages 89-128, April.
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