Community Readiness for Smart Cities in Egypt: New Cites as a Case Study

The global trend toward implementing smart cities as a strategy for urban innovation has gained significant momentum in recent years, with countries worldwide, including Egypt, actively embracing this approach. Despite the widespread adoption of smart city initiatives, numerous implementations have encountered challenges. A critical challenge is the need for "smart" citizens who actively participate, interact with, and benefit from new technologies and practices. Furthermore, the lack of citizens' awareness and knowledge of communication technologies impacts the effective functioning of smart city governance. Recognizing the importance of community inclusion in the success of smart city initiatives, this research assesses the community readiness of residents in two new cities in Egypt: El-Sheikh Zayed and Badr. The study employed questionnaires distributed to residents of both cities, differentiating responses based on age groups, average income, education levels, occupation and housing level. By evaluating variables related to community readiness for smart cities—community awareness, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, security and privacy, and behavioral intention—this research aims to gain crucial insights into the level of community readiness for such transformations. The findings indicate varying levels of community readiness in the two cities, leading to tailored policy recommendations for qualifying community transformation. In addition, the research emphasizes that smart cities must achieve social inclusion of all citizens, regardless of their demographic and socio-economic characteristics.