Multiple pathways to solve urban challenges: A shared portfolio approach towards smart city development

van den Ouweland, Chantal; van Winden, Willem; Mora, Luca

doi:10.1177/09520767231183864

Overcoming the Smart City Governance Challenge: An Innovation Management Perspective (2025)
Journal Article
Beckers, D., & Mora, L. (online). Overcoming the Smart City Governance Challenge: An Innovation Management Perspective. Journal of Urban Technology, https://doi.org/10.1080/10630732.2025.2461983

This commentary explores the potential of strengthening smart city development (SCD) governance theory through a more meaningful integration of innovation management studies. We highlight the limited theoretical framework in SCD governance and show h... Read More about Overcoming the Smart City Governance Challenge: An Innovation Management Perspective.

Collaboration before competition: How smart city entrepreneurs co-create temporary ecosystems to build capacity for learning (2025)
Journal Article
Oliver, P. G., Mora, L., & Zhang, J. (2025). Collaboration before competition: How smart city entrepreneurs co-create temporary ecosystems to build capacity for learning. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 214, Article 124046. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2025.124046

This article explores how smart city entrepreneurs (SCEs) learn to address urban sustainability challenges with innovative digital products and services. SCEs embody social, digital, and urban entrepreneurialism features and play a pivotal role in ad... Read More about Collaboration before competition: How smart city entrepreneurs co-create temporary ecosystems to build capacity for learning.

Confronting the smart city governance challenge (2025)
Journal Article
Mora, L., Gerli, P., Batty, M., Binet Royall, E., Carfi, N., Coenegrachts, K.-F., de Jong, M., Facchina, M., Janssen, M., Meijer, A., Pasi, G., Perrino, M., Raven, R., Sagar, A., Sancino, A., Santi, P., Sharp, D., Trencher, G., van Zoonen, L., Westerberg, P., …Ziemer, G. (online). Confronting the smart city governance challenge. Nature Cities, https://doi.org/10.1038/s44284-024-00168-9

Governance inefficiencies threaten the potential of smart city projects to deliver equitable urban transformations. Current strategies often hinder implementation, and risk harmful technological effects on communities. Tackling this challenge demands... Read More about Confronting the smart city governance challenge.

Responsible AI for Cities: A Case Study of GeoAI in African Informal Settlements (2025)
Journal Article
Tonnarelli, F., & Mora, L. (online). Responsible AI for Cities: A Case Study of GeoAI in African Informal Settlements. Journal of Urban Technology, https://doi.org/10.1080/10630732.2025.2450755

Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) systems are increasingly used by local governments to manage urban planning activities. However, there is a lack of clear guidelines for responsible artificial intelligence (AI) implementation. We address th... Read More about Responsible AI for Cities: A Case Study of GeoAI in African Informal Settlements.

Scaling to new heights: methodological insights for uplifting research on grassroots digital innovation (2025)
Journal Article
Gerli, P., Neves da Rocha, F., & Mora, L. (2025). Scaling to new heights: methodological insights for uplifting research on grassroots digital innovation. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12, Article 126. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-04320-7

The Covid-19 pandemic has further evidenced the potential of grassroots actors as initiators of digital innovations, in the form of open-source applications, platform cooperatives, and other crowdsourced digital artifacts. These innovations played a... Read More about Scaling to new heights: methodological insights for uplifting research on grassroots digital innovation.

How do boundary objects influence people-centered smart cities? A systematic literature review (2025)
Journal Article
Esposito, G., Bertello, A., Mora, L., & Tucek, D. (online). How do boundary objects influence people-centered smart cities? A systematic literature review. Review of Managerial Science, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-025-00835-8

This study explores the critical role of boundary objects in the context of people-centred smart cities, a new paradigm in urban development that emphasises citizen participation in planning and decision-making. Boundary objects—artefacts, documents,... Read More about How do boundary objects influence people-centered smart cities? A systematic literature review.

Material matters: recommendations for the analysis of relational spaces in sociotechnical transition studies (2024)
Journal Article
Lykouras, I., & Mora, L. (2025). Material matters: recommendations for the analysis of relational spaces in sociotechnical transition studies. Technology in Society, 80, Article 102764. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102764

This Opinion Paper examines the interplay between materiality, relational spaces, and technological change dynamics. The objective is to introduce a novel theoretical perspective and a structured analytical process designed to enrich the investigatio... Read More about Material matters: recommendations for the analysis of relational spaces in sociotechnical transition studies.

Strategic public value(s) governance: A systematic literature review and framework for analysis (2024)
Journal Article
Thabit, S., Sancino, A., & Mora, L. (online). Strategic public value(s) governance: A systematic literature review and framework for analysis. Public Administration Review, https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13877

This article offers evidence‐based understanding of public value creation in multi‐actor collaborations by presenting the results of a systematic literature review of empirical studies published within the public administration field. Specifically, i... Read More about Strategic public value(s) governance: A systematic literature review and framework for analysis.

Charting sustainable urban development through a systematic review of SDG11 research (2024)
Journal Article
Almulhim, A. I., Sharifi, A., Aina, Y. A., Ahmad, S., Mora, L., Filho, W. L., & Abubakar, I. R. (2024). Charting sustainable urban development through a systematic review of SDG11 research. Nature Cities, 1(10), 677-685. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44284-024-00117-6

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 underscores the imperative of creating inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities by 2030. Here we employ bibliometric techniques to assess the evolving landscape of SDG11 research. Usi... Read More about Charting sustainable urban development through a systematic review of SDG11 research.

Co‐constructing cooperative value ecosystems: A critical realist perspective (2024)
Journal Article
Zhang, J., Zamani, E. D., Gerli, P., & Mora, L. (2025). Co‐constructing cooperative value ecosystems: A critical realist perspective. Information Systems Journal, 35(2), 504-544. https://doi.org/10.1111/isj.12549

This study focuses on digital platform cooperatives (DPCs) and investigates how social value is created within platform cooperativism for fostering a more equitable and inclusive digital landscape. We explore and theorise the outcomes of social value... Read More about Co‐constructing cooperative value ecosystems: A critical realist perspective.

Breaking barriers for breaking ground: A categorisation of public sector challenges to smart city project implementation (2024)
Journal Article
Akgün, E. Z., Gerli, P., Mora, L., & McTigue, C. (online). Breaking barriers for breaking ground: A categorisation of public sector challenges to smart city project implementation. Public Policy and Administration, https://doi.org/10.1177/09520767241263233

Smart city technologies provide promising solutions for local governments to tackling societal challenges and enhancing public service provision. The global embrace of these digital innovations represents a new era in public sector advancements. Howe... Read More about Breaking barriers for breaking ground: A categorisation of public sector challenges to smart city project implementation.

How do academic smart city centres operate in complex environments? A business model perspective (2024)
Journal Article
Ghanbari, H., Soe, R.-M., Toiskallio, K., & Mora, L. (2024). How do academic smart city centres operate in complex environments? A business model perspective. Cities, 152, Article 105211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2024.105211

In recent years, an increasing number of academic smart city centres have emerged globally. These centres play a crucial role in conducting cutting-edge research and proposing innovative solutions for cities; they often operate in a complex multi-pur... Read More about How do academic smart city centres operate in complex environments? A business model perspective.

To move or not to move: A review of residential relocation trends after COVID-19 (2024)
Journal Article
Ilham, M. A., Fonzone, A., Fountas, G., & Mora, L. (2024). To move or not to move: A review of residential relocation trends after COVID-19. Cities, 151, Article 105078. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2024.105078

The restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic have led to significant changes in travel behaviour and public activities, and they might have contributed to changes in residential location choices. However, research examining the relationship... Read More about To move or not to move: A review of residential relocation trends after COVID-19.

Ambient Air Pollution and Chronic kidney disease risk in Deltan communities: A Policy Brief, 2023 (2024)
Journal Article
Okoye, O., Carnegie, E., & Mora, L. (online). Ambient Air Pollution and Chronic kidney disease risk in Deltan communities: A Policy Brief, 2023. F1000Research, https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.145904.3

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a persistent, devastating, yet neglected, non-communicable disease in developing and emerging countries. National, regional, and international agencies’ communications and reports on non-communicable diseases intention... Read More about Ambient Air Pollution and Chronic kidney disease risk in Deltan communities: A Policy Brief, 2023.

Friends or enemies? Unraveling niche-regime interactions in grassroots digital innovations (2024)
Journal Article
Gerli, P., Mora, L., Zhang, J., & Sancino, A. (2024). Friends or enemies? Unraveling niche-regime interactions in grassroots digital innovations. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 202, Article 123342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2024.123342

During the COVID-19 pandemic, grassroots digital innovations (GDIs) have gained traction as innovation niches, providing an alternative to the prevailing mainstream regime dominating smart city transitions. Drawing upon interviews with experts and pr... Read More about Friends or enemies? Unraveling niche-regime interactions in grassroots digital innovations.

Consumers’ reaction to sci-fi as a source of information for technological development: An empirical analysis (2024)
Journal Article
Messeni Petruzzelli, A., Mora, L., Natalicchio, A., Platania, F., & Toscano Hernandez, C. (2024). Consumers’ reaction to sci-fi as a source of information for technological development: An empirical analysis. Technovation, 132, Article 102970. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2024.102970

Science fiction (sci-fi) creative products inspire individuals by envisioning alternative futures and imaginary technological development. The stimuli conveyed by sci-fi creative products can trigger consumers' interest, which nowadays translate into... Read More about Consumers’ reaction to sci-fi as a source of information for technological development: An empirical analysis.

Nothing but symbolic: Chinese new authoritarianism, smart government, and the challenge of multi-level governance (2023)
Journal Article
Zhang, J., & Mora, L. (2023). Nothing but symbolic: Chinese new authoritarianism, smart government, and the challenge of multi-level governance. Government Information Quarterly, 40(4), Article 101880. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2023.101880

This study investigates the impact of Chinese new authoritarian principles on the approach to multi-level governance that China has implemented during the national transition to smart government. Employing a case study analysis, we illustrate the phe... Read More about Nothing but symbolic: Chinese new authoritarianism, smart government, and the challenge of multi-level governance.

Smart urbanism in Africa: when theories do not fit with contextual practices (2023)
Journal Article
Tonnarelli, F., & Mora, L. (2024). Smart urbanism in Africa: when theories do not fit with contextual practices. Regional Studies, 58(9), 1767-1777. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2023.2235407

Theories of smart urbanism have overlooked the influence of contextual factors on the conception, planning and implementation of digital transformation practices across regions. To articulate this critique, we focus on African cities and draw on a di... Read More about Smart urbanism in Africa: when theories do not fit with contextual practices.

Multiple pathways to solve urban challenges: A shared portfolio approach towards smart city development (2023)
Journal Article
van den Ouweland, C., van Winden, W., & Mora, L. (2024). Multiple pathways to solve urban challenges: A shared portfolio approach towards smart city development. Public Policy and Administration, 39(2), 193-213. https://doi.org/10.1177/09520767231183864

Municipalities often collaborate with other stakeholders in smart city projects to develop and implement technological innovations to address complex urban issues. We propose the shared portfolio approach as an alternative way of collaborating, becau... Read More about Multiple pathways to solve urban challenges: A shared portfolio approach towards smart city development.

All Outputs (48)