Sustainable urban digital innovation: A socio-technical competency-based approach to evaluation

This study explores the leadership competencies required in practice by city planners and managers in smart city projects focusing on environmental urban sustainability. Although the literature notes that urban technologies and their capabilities can help address sustainability challenges in cities, there is a lack of studies exploring the competency requirements necessary to foster leadership capacity. This paper identifies leadership competencies within four real-world case studies in the urban built environment, guided by a socio-technical competency framework (DC2-CF). The selected case studies represent a diverse set of city planning purposes, geographic regions, various levels of spatial scale, and socio-technical elements of digital innovation. In these case studies, city managers exhibit specific competencies to develop digital innovation projects that uphold and advance urban sustainability. The study demonstrates the relevance and practical application of DC2-CF as a valuable tool to identify competency needs for local public, private, and community stakeholders throughout diverse stages of the urban digital innovation process. The findings suggest the complex relationship between competencies and project delivery, stressing variations in how they are utilised across various projects. Drawing from these key results, this paper provides practical recommendations for city professionals, guiding them in leading climate-friendly and sustainable urban digital innovation. • Essential socio-technical competency requirements for sustainable digital innovation. • Exemplary case studies to illustrate sustainable and digital innovation leadership. • Practical application of the DC2-CF as a valuable tool to identify competency needs. • Valuable insights revealing how to lead sustainable digital innovation responsibly. • Practical recommendations to align urban digital innovation with sustainable goals.