The modified smart city concept for Russian municipalities in the context of change management

Abstract

Relevance. Outdated tools and instruments for development and governance prevent the effective use of data and digital platforms in Russian cities, thus creating obstacles for the implementation of smart new solutions. Moreover, the established system of smart city evaluation is 'overloaded' with indicators. For these reasons, the smart city concept is inadequate for today's reality of most Russian municipalities, making it difficult for them to meet the national goals for the digitalization of the country's economy. The relevance of this study is determined by the need to adjust the smart city concept for municipal economy in Russia and to propose a modified version of this concept. Research objective. This study aims at creating a modified smart city concept by changing evaluation criteria and using a simulation model of municipal economy. Results. The study found that the established smart city concept is not entirely suitable for implementation in Russian municipalities. The lack of adequate methodology of smart city evaluation impedes efficient economic development of municipalities. Data and methods. The study applies a simulation model of municipal economy, which is built by using simulation modelling methods and the Bass diffusion model. Conclusions. The proposed modifications of the smart city concept can provide a springboard for economic development of Russian municipalities to achieve the goals of national digital strategies.