Sport in smart cities: definition, review and future research agenda

Purpose This study aims to define the scope of sport in smart cities and synthesizes how smart infrastructures reshape sport practice, consumption and governance. We summarize what is known, point out the main gaps and limits of current research and set clear questions to guide future, comparative and real-world research for cities, sport organizations and researchers. Design/methodology/approach We conduct a comprehensive literature review across sport management, urban studies and information science. We screen academic and policy sources and map technologies such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, geospatial analytics and sensor networks to actors, data flows and outcomes and organize the evidence into an integrative thematic map and agenda across all proposed domains. Findings The review consolidates seven domains of sport in smart cities: technological innovations, sport participation, sport spectatorship, sport tourism, sport retailing, sport education and training and governance and ethics. Across these domains, digitally mediated infrastructures are reshaping practice, consumption and management. However, scenario-driven and conceptual work still outpaces comparative, longitudinal evaluation and the evidence base clusters in data-rich settings. Recurring issues include weak interoperability and evaluation capacity, privacy and consent risks and digital exclusion. The synthesis points to methodological and implementation pathways using systems-oriented indicators, geospatial and sensor data, and participatory governance to move from pilots to cumulative, equitable practice. Originality/value This paper provides a comprehensive review that organizes dispersed work on the interdiscipline of sport and smart cities and distills clear directions for subsequent research and implementation.