The integration of resilience in smart city initiatives for sustainable development goals

Abstract

The development of smart city programs provides significant opportunities to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 11 which concerns sustainable, resilient and inclusive cities. The objectives of this research is to identify key trends and knowledge gaps in the existing literature, and to explore how resilience could be embedded into the smart city framework to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was undertaken from 2015 to 2026 using the PRISMA criteria, VOSviewer and RStudio-Biblioshiny to evaluate relevant Scopus publications. The results indicate that smart cities integrating resilience indicators would be more resilient and sustainable in the face of crises whether caused by disasters or climate change, through adaptive governance and stakeholder participation. Accordingly, resilience is a vital link between smart cities and the Sustainable Development Goals. This study introduces conceptual and integrated resilience indicators to deepen theoretical understanding while providing a practical framework for stakeholders to construct sustainable, smart, resilient systems.