Quantifying the sustainability impacts of smart cities and AI: A meta-analysis

Smart cities have the potential to be a transformative paradigm for urban development, yet their impact on sustainability remains unresolved. While many studies report positive outcomes, others find negligible or even adverse effects, creating uncertainty about the long-term viability of smart city initiatives. Existing reviews are largely qualitative, limiting precision and actionable insights. To address this gap, this study conducts a meta-analysis of 57 effect sizes drawn from 17 empirical studies across diverse contexts, offering a quantitative synthesis of the effects of smart city interventions on sustainability outcomes. Results confirm a significant positive association between smart city development and environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Among interventions, technology and innovativeness exert the greatest influence, while governance and people factors show smaller positive effects. Notably, artificial intelligence (AI) demonstrates substantially stronger impacts than other interventions including non-AI technologies across all sustainability dimensions, underscoring its transformative potential. These findings provide evidence-based guidance for policymakers and urban planners. While the evidence points to AI advantage, the small number of AI studies warrants further replication. Future research could also explore synergies between AI and other interventions such as governance reforms, citizen engagement, and green infrastructure to amplify sustainability outcomes.