Redefining Smart City Implementation: A New Model for Sustainability of Smart Cities

This study addresses a critical gap in smart city implementation by proposing a novel triple helix model that integrates smart governance, smart technologies, and active citizen engagement. While smart city initiatives are widespread, effective execution remains a major challenge. This research examines the smart city environment through the lens of smart government, smart people, and smart technology, revealing a disconnect between ambitious plans and the actual impact of applications. The new model was applied to four metropolitan cities in Turkey and tested using desktop research, analysis of 115 municipal websites based on the McMillan interaction model, and a citizen survey of 1,754 participants. The study presents an in-depth analysis based on detailed examination of the citizen survey and discusses the potential factors affecting awareness and usage by using The Chi Square of Independence Test and Binary Logistic Regression methods to analyze 13 relationships using data from 19 smart mobility applications. The results have shown that smart city initiatives fail to reach their full potential without aware citizens and responsive governance, even with sufficient technology. This research contributes a critical perspective to the smart city discourse, offering a foundational model for future smart city implementations to ensure their success and sustainability.