There are several advantages to living in an urban area and metropolis, especially in terms of the economy, social services, and job prospects. Nowadays, cities house more than 55% of the worlds population (United Nations, 2018). More than three-quarters of all energy is consumed in urban areas, and these activities result in the release of greenhouse gases. One of the most significant factors that contribute to climate change is that urban areas are responsible for producing more than 60 percent of these gases (United Nations, 2020). This number has been showing tremendous growth year after year. With this intense demand for urbanization, cities need robust infrastructure and intelligent planning. The combination of a growing population and a concentration of that population in urban areas has severe and frequently disastrous impacts on the urban infrastructure and the sustainability of cities. In the meantime, cities in Iran are not immune to these problems either. The smart city concept was coined to address these issues. One of the most practical approaches is smartening the city, which is spreading rapidly and has been positively received, especially in developed nations. However, the list of smart cities compiled by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) does not include any cities in Iran. In order to better quality of life and urban services in Iranian cities, smart cities can take steps to reduce or eliminate problems. Despite some progress in the direction of smartness and developments in various fields of research, technology, and internet services, no smart city has emerged in Iran, according to statistics (IMD, SCO, and SUTD, 2021). Iran still lacks a comprehensive strategy and orientation for implementing smart city elements in its cities. In this research, it was decided to assist urban managers in the planning process in order to bring about a smart city in Iran. This study begins by examining a smart citys definition, characteristics, and components and comparing five smart cities. Then, this paper investigates peoples awareness, support, and cooperation with smart cities through a survey because, despite the existence of technologies and government planning, the city cannot achieve smartness without citizens knowledge and contribution.

Smart City Characteristics

According to the peculiarities of each region, such as the geographical location, socio-economic situation, priorities of each city, and incentives, such as universities and industries, an intelligent city covers the aspects of urban sustainability, quality of life, and urban services (Ramaprasad et al., 2017; Dameri, 2013). Even though it is challenging to have a universally applicable definition of a smart city that can be easily applied to all cities, in general, it is possible to state that a city that is able to generate intellectual capital and use that capital and knowledge to further urban development is referred to as a smart city (Dameri, 2013). The problems caused by urbanization and population growth can be solved with the help of advanced technologies in smart cities. Smart cities also have upgraded infrastructure, which helps improve the citys economic, social, political, and cultural viability, as well as the quality of urban space and transportation. A green city can also be created with the help of technology for the sustainability of the environment, protection of environmental quality, reduction of carbon emissions, and increasing energy efficiency. Furthermore, with the help of intelligent systems, natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes can be reduced or identified. Last, but not least, it has the potential to improve public services and provide the highest possible quality of life (Kumar et al., 2020; Ramaprasad et al., 2017). It is important to emphasize that most definitions of an intelligent city point to the resident as the ultimate recipient and beneficiary (Chamoso et al., 2018). Hence, a "smart city" is a novel idea that uses Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to deal with the issues plaguing cities and raise the living standards of inhabitants (Bawany and Shamsi, 2015). 

The characteristics of each smart city are very different from one another. In general, a smart city is distinguished by six primary features smart people, smart government, smart economy, smart mobility, smart environment, and smart living. Table 1 (added as supplemental material) briefly introduces each indicator (Giffinger et al., 2007; Ramaprasad et al., 2017; Pourahmad et al., 2018; Ferraro, 2013)

Smart City Components

The three most crucial elements of any smart city are citizens, government, and technology (Dameri, 2013). Technology is the primary driver of smart cities and serves as their foundation. Technology has recently emerged as an essential component of many urban sustainability plans. As a result of the powerful and helpful answers that new technologies may offer, more and more are being integrated into peoples daily lives (Husar et al., 2017). Most smart city strategies highlight the importance of information and communication technology (ICT) in enhancing urban system efficiency and fostering knowledge and innovation networks. Projects based on ICT can address a wide range of urban difficulties, progress the quality of services, and increase the efficiency of all activities (Chamoso et al., 2018; Angelidou, 2017).

Citizens are the second pillar of a smart city, whose are the most fundamental component in establishing a smart city, and the primary objective of a smart city. Studies indicate that the cooperation of citizens makes a contribution to the quality of life; therefore, the government should work to increase the skills of citizens participation. For citizen engagement, specific tactics and methods are required, such as providing access to the necessary technology, investing in citizens abilities (e-literacy), and communicating with them through various media (Barrutia et al., 2022). So, smart city policy should incorporate social sense and takes into account inhabitants opinions about smart cities, public services, and amenities. Public participation is a prerequisite for attaining inclusive and sustainable urban development (Singh et al., 2021). According to (Nakamura and Managi, 2020), citizen satisfaction is a key measure in evaluating urban performance since it eventually influences the residents profit and comfort. Another important consideration is the employment of knowledgeable and qualified individuals. It should go without saying that systems and services performance is successful only when people generally embrace them. The foundations of human and social capital are found in ones knowledge, intelligence, and creative potential. As a result, well-informed and educated residents are regarded as critical components of a smart city (Angelidou, 2017; Sizan et al., 2021). 

The government is also a crucial component in creating a smart city, as it is responsible for determining the citys physical layout, rules, and legal framework. The governments investments in urban revitalization initiatives and infrastructure expansion plans are effective and productive (Dameri, 2013). Governments roles in fostering innovation include setting standards, coordinating the efforts of important parties, financing initiatives, and shifting procurement practices. Municipal officials need to adopt a more inclusive mindset in which they recognize their place within the ecosystem and make space for the involvement of citizens and other stakeholders (Woetzel et al., 2018). To put it another way, leaders should be able to develop long-term knowledge ecosystems that promote government, industry, and citizen engagement (Angelidou, 2017). Strategic planning for smart city development also includes entrepreneurship as a determinative aspect because it is crucial for long-term financial stability. This goal is mostly accomplished in smart cities by the establishment of business-friendly settings that offer innovative services to both existing enterprises and startup companies (Hollands, 2008; Angelidou and Psaltoglou, 2017; Davies et al., 2015).

Smart Cities

For better understanding and more efficient planning, five of the worlds smartest cities are examined and evaluated in accordance with the IMD classification. The criteria for choosing these smart cities are as follows; Singapore is considered the smartest city, Tokyo is considered the biggest smart city, Lausanne is considered the smallest smart city, Amsterdam is considered the first smart city, and Rio de Janeiro is considered the lowest smart city level. These cities have been chosen because smartness can be analyzed in all dimensions and widely from all over the world to reach an ideal step. Singapore, an Asian island city, is home to more than 5.6 million people over its 728.6 square kilometers of land (Woods 2020). When it comes to international trade, Singapore is both the most accessible country and one of the worlds most influential economies. In addition to being one of the worlds busiest ports, it is also Southeast Asias largest port. The standard of living in the country has been high, and it is currently enjoying rapid economic and educational development (Santhi and Saravanakumar 2020). In terms of quality of life, Singapore ranks high (NUMBEO, April 2022d). After Singapore, Tokyo, the most populous and largest city in Japan, is located in Asia with a population of over 37 million and a total area of around 2194 square kilometers. Tokyo is home to numerous prestigious educational institutions and museums, as well as beautiful traditional Japanese gardens, making it the cultural capital of Japan. From neon-lit skyscrapers to ancient temples, Tokyo has a wide variety of architectural styles. As a result of its strategic location, it has developed into a major industrial, commercial, and financial hub for Japan and a leading global economy (Britannica 25 March 2021). Tokyo has a very high rank in the quality of life index (NUMBEO, April 2022e).

Amsterdams territory in continental Europe is about 219.3 square kilometers (Sharbatdar et al., 2015). With a population of more than one million people, this city has the title of being the most populated city and the capital of the Netherlands. As the government offers incentives for students and workers, many people opt to live and work in the Netherlands between the ages of 25 and 50 (Somayya and Ramaswamy, 2016; Onderzoek, 2009). As Europes fourth largest port, this city plays a crucial role in the flow of commodities and services across the continent. The city has a historical reputation because it was a global economic hub in the seventeenth century. Amsterdam is a major business hub in Europe, and headquarters for many multinational corporations may be found there (Onderzoek, 2009; Sharbatdar et al., 2015; Somayya and Ramaswamy, 2016). Amsterdam ranks very high on the quality of life index (NUMBEO, April 2022a).

Another city that is located on the continent of Europe is Lausanne. It is the fourth largest city in Switzerland, with an area of 41.3 square kilometers and a population of more than 140,000 individuals, of whom more than forty percent are not native-born. It is a green city with a stellar reputation as an academic and cultural center. The economy of Lausanne is mostly centered on services and knowledge, and the city has a greater number of jobs available than residents. The city of Lausanne is home to a wide variety of culturally significant institutions, such as theaters, galleries, concert halls, and music venues (Ville de Lausanne and BLI, August 2019). In the same vein as Amsterdam and Tokyo, the quality-of-life index in Lausanne is very high (NUMBEO, April 2022b). The city of Rio de Janeiro is located on the coast of Brazil in South America, and it covers an area of around 1,200 square kilometers. This metropolis is home to approximately 13.5 million residents at present. The combination of a modern metropolis with a large number of ports, beaches, museums, tropical woods, and historical attractions makes this city an appealing destination for many visitors. Rio de Janeiro is one of the most important economic cities in Brazil and the countrys second most important industrial sector. Due to the fact that Rio de Janeiro was formerly the capital of Brazil, many centers and headquarters stayed in Rio de Janeiro when the capital was moved to Brasília. The city has a large-scale economy, with heavy and light industries, trade, commerce, gold and diamond mines, and other service sectors all contributing to its growth (Schneider et al., 1 April 2022). In contrast to the other four cities mentioned earlier, the quality-of-life index in Rio de Janeiro is quite low (NUMBEO, April 2022c). After a brief study of each city, Table 2 (added as supplemental material) reveals each citys ranking according to (IMD, SCO, and SUTD 2021) in terms of smartness out of 118 cities and in terms of technology and structure from AAA to D. In the same way, the intelligence of each city and the ways they have gone to achieve a smart city have been shown in Table 3 (added as supplemental material) as a comparative table to give a comprehensive perspective to city managers and planners. Studies from the intelligence of five cities of Singapore, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Lausanne, and Rio de Janeiro revealed that one of the main issues related to smart cities is smart people and high cooperation of people with the government and the city. This is the reason why the awareness of the people in Iran regarding the smart city has been investigated in this article to ensure that by strengthening the awareness and participation of the people, the steps towards achieving smartness will continue.

The data used in this study is both qualitative and quantitative. Bibliographic studies form the basis of the qualitative component of the research. Document study, data collection, analysis of gathered data and findings, case study review, and comparison in a comparative table are the foundations of the research process. The data is analyzed using a combination of thematic and content analysis. A survey was carried out to ascertain the general publics awareness and opinion about smart cities in Iran, with a particular focus on the city in which each respondent resides. Following the confirmation version of the scientific process, the quantitative portion of the research relies on the collection and analysis of quantitative data. The survey was distributed randomly to the Iranian population, regardless of respondents race, gender, or socioeconomic standing. The responders were from communities across the country and varying cities. People over 18 years are the surveys focus since its goal is to create findings that can be generalized to the entirety of the population in society. People were given electronic versions of the questionnaire, which they could access through various online platforms. It was done since an online survey with a random sample is the most democratic and trustworthy approach for gaining insight into the perspectives of the members of society. This survey format gives respondents sufficient time and space to formulate their responses, so allowing for more honest responses. In this survey, no ones identifying information was requested. Since the questionnaire was designed specifically for native Persian speakers in Iran, the questionnaire was written entirely in Persian. The questionnaires objectives and significance were explained to the participants before they filled it out. The 15 questions on the survey were designed to best serve the objectives of the investigation. The first five questions cover demographics and fundamental information about individuals. The remaining ten questions assess the respondents familiarity with the concept of smart cities. The questions consisted of both open and closed questions. The majority of the questions on this survey provided space for the respondents to freely express themselves through writing and explanation. Conclusions about the data were arrived at after numerous comparisons and analyses of the responses and inferential statistics.

Establishing a smart city necessitates coordinated actions on a variety of governmental and societal fronts. A wide variety of urban areas can benefit from the innovations made possible by "smart city" initiatives. Nevertheless, the implementations of smart solutions vary widely. It is because the available resources in smart city regions are directly tied to factors such as cultural variety, societal awareness, investment in the research sector, and the level of socioeconomic growth in the country, region, or city. Smart city implementations may take different approaches, but they all share the same overarching aim of enhancing urban life and service provision. By comparing the cities in the comparative table, it can be seen that Rio de Janeiro has not fared well in many different areas, including sustainability, economics, mobility, environment, and urban life, and these problems have caused setbacks over time. As creating and developing urban infrastructure to carry out projects on a greater scale takes more time, Tokyo has not achieved the best results on all occasions, but the city has been able to do well and achieve proportional success regarding the size and population of the town. The cities of Singapore, Amsterdam, and Lausanne have all fulfilled their goal of smartening the city through investments in these areas. Sustainable development, ecology, reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, entrepreneurship, innovative economic development, human capital formation, public engagement, transparency, efficiency, and social welfare are all emphasized by ICT policies in these cities, along with cutting-edge technologies and lofty objectives. Nevertheless, these cities use unique strategies and prioritize distinct factors in their smart city initiative; each of them is successful and an example in its own right. In light of the above survey, almost 75% of the people who filled out the questionnaire were young. Also, over 75% of the younger generation group heard the term smart city and were more aware. In addition, most people from metropolitan areas were among those who were familiar with the term smart city. The study and analysis of the survey show that most people without a university degree do not know what a "smart city" is and do not want to learn it. In contrast, those with a higher education degree are more likely to have heard the term "smart city" or understand its meaning. The willingness to cooperate to improve urban areas and create smart cities is also strongly correlated with educational attainment. Moreover, as evidenced by the responses to the questions on smart cities and the number of participants who gave such responses, more than half of the participants were familiar with the phrase "smart city," but not all of them had a thorough understanding of this idea. There was a lack of understanding of this topic, even among individuals working in sectors closely connected to architecture. Almost half of the remaining participants were utterly unfamiliar with this term. Most participants could have a favorable impression of the concept of a "smart city" after reading a brief explanation of what it entails. Although some participants had a firm perception of the smart citys intended goals, the vast majoritys views on the topic revealed an obsession with the inclusion of cutting-edge technology in the city while ignoring its myriad other applications. Regarding the smart citys advantages for the residents of each city, participants were eager to collaborate for their city to develop in this direction. The everyday problems of the majority of city dwellers, which worsen as the city expands, are the fundamental issues of smart cities. Everyone in the city is aware of these issues. As was previously noted, the vast majority of respondents were willing to collaborate on city-related initiatives. So, when people are willing to cooperate in the development of their city, with sufficient education and necessary knowledge, it is possible to increase their enthusiasm for cooperation. The lack of complete awareness and precise information of participants on this subject likely contributed to their negative views of the smartness of their city and their unwillingness to cooperate in the citys development. These findings highlight the importance of education in raising awareness. Consequently, paying attention to boosting peoples knowledge and educating them about a smart and sustainable city might be quite useful and vital.

The path to smartness follows a set of rules, but these are not rigid, allowing for considerable leeway. It can be claimed that younger generations are more enthusiastic about exploring and benefiting from the smart city concept. It is also true that as a city grows, its inhabitants become more connected and knowledgeable about the concept of a smart city. Nonetheless, it is important to stress that awareness and knowledge dissemination about this topic in Iran has been quite low. Citizens are interested in learning more about the smart city; thus, local governments would be wise to provide educational resources and spread awareness on the topic. A city can be upgraded and smart only through extensive collaboration between city officials and residents. These objectives can only be met if the projects for the growth of the smart city be wholly transparent and responsive to the citizens. In order to create a smart city and implement smart city solutions, scholars also emphasize the importance of citizen participation in planning and developing the city (Castelnovo et al., 2016; Webster et al., 2018). When citizens actively take part in the decision-making process alongside their governments representatives, citizen engagement becomes a reality. Authorities in a smart city must adopt novel approaches to encourage greater citizen involvement and remove obstacles to peoples active participation in civic life. Cities can leverage the publics perspective on current issues and concerns, as well as suggestions for improving the system, by implementing new technology to facilitate two-way communication between government institutions and the people.

It can be inferred that the development of communication and information infrastructures, as well as cultural advancement, are among the important criteria for implementing smart cities, and meeting these criteria will require time and additional effort from experts as well as the use of the knowledge of advanced countries in the field of information and communication technology. This study reveals that prosperous smart cities have a high quality of life index. All successful smart cities have a very high ranking in terms of structures, which refer to the physical infrastructure already in cities, and technologies, which represent the technological resources and services available to locals. All government and private agencies, scientific research institutions, and residents are the primary and ongoing contributors to the citys ever-increasing improvement and problem-solving. The area of sustainability receives extra focus in smart cities, and the six defining features of a smart city are also crucial to determine a citys ranking among the smart cities. What counts as smart depends on several factors, including the political, economic, and geographical conditions and the rate at which new technologies spread. In fact, intelligent approaches are not easily replicable and need to be assessed in different contexts. While it is true that cities cannot just copy successful strategies, they can craft unique plans and policies that fit their circumstances.

The author would like to express special thanks to Prof. Dr. Sema Esen Soygeniş for her guidance and support throughout the research.

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

The purpose of this survey is to inquire Iranian residents about attitudes and familiarity with the term "smart city" and its associated concepts, as well as their opinions and feelings regarding the "smartness" of their city. Furthermore, residents expectations for how a smart city would impact their daily lives and the extent to which they are eager to help make their city smart is probed. A total of 154 people participated in filling out this surveys questions. The data were gathered between August 5th, 2022, and September 20th, 2022. Governments might use this questionnaire as a model for a more extensive undertaking when introducing smart city features. The initial set of questions pertains to demographic data. Based on the responses, it appears that the majority of the participants fall into the young adult age range and are between the ages of 18 and 45. The majority of those who took part were college graduates. That means three-quarters of the responders have a bachelors degree or above. According to the respondents occupations, twenty-four of the respondents have worked in architecture-related fields, making up 15.5% of the total. In accordance with (Tebyan, 2018), 12.3% of the respondents reside in rural-urban areas with a population of less than 25,000. Cities with populations between 25,000 and 1,000,000 account for 34.4% of participants and metropolitan areas with populations above 1,000,000 constitute 53.3% of participants. Also, the length of time each person stays in their current city has been divided into three parts in order to gauge their familiarity with the area. There are three levels of familiarity with a city: brief and insufficient which is less than five years, moderate which is between five and ten years, and long and sufficient which is more than ten years. More than 90% of people are quite familiar with their local areas.

The next ten questions tested participants awareness of the concept of "smart cities" in Iran. At first, the participants were asked if they had ever heard the term smart city and how much information they had about it. There were 83 yes, meaning that 55 percent of respondents are familiar with the term. The remaining 46% of respondents, which translates to 71 persons, are completely unfamiliar with this word, and they had not heard this term before. Also, three of the twenty-four people who identified as architects said they were unfamiliar with the word. In addition, just 27 participants, or nearly one-third of the 83 persons who had heard of smart cities, knew about a number of smart cities. Dubai, Tokyo, New York, London, Amsterdam, Seoul, Singapore, Stockholm, Barcelona, Chicago, Copenhagen, and Hong Kong were the locations in the answers, respectively. Furthermore, among those who had heard the term smart city, 13.3% were unaware of its defining features. So, the concept of a "smart city" is not actually known even by those who have heard of it. The other participants cognition of the smart city characteristics was the smart environment, smart living, smart government, smart economy, smart mobility, and smart people, respectively. In light of the above responses, a generic definition of the smart city was presented, and everyone became at least somewhat acquainted with the concept. Then, participants opinions were asked about smart cities and their potential, in which 35 respondents either did not provide an opinion about the smart city or did not respond. Out of those 35 people, the majority, or 51.4%, had reported that they were familiar with the term "smart city." Among these 35 people also, 8.5% were working in architecture-related sectors. In addition, 49 individuals merely agreed with the existence of a smart city and did not have any other opinion. The responses of the remaining 70 people can be broken down into six distinct categories.

• A smart city is one in which cutting-edge technologies play a pivotal role in daily life.

• A smart city enhances convenience and prosperity of Residents as a result.

• A smart city is environmentally responsible and works to limit its carbon footprint and protect renewable resources.

• A smart city aids the growth of infrastructure and new amenities and urban services.

• A Smart city enhances safety, security, fiscal management, transportation system, urban infrastructure, and information systems.

• A smart city raises inhabitants knowledge and sense of responsibility, fosters relationships between individuals, companies, and the government, and promotes transparency in all of these spheres.

After these questions, the opinion of the participants was asked about their city and the implementation of the smart city there. At first, respondents most commonly cited the following answers about their urban issues.

• A dearth of public transportation and the subsequent proliferation of traffic congestion.

• Parking shortages and insufficient parking spots

• The lack of parks, services, and recreational facilities

• Environmental pollution 

• Unchecked urbanization and a failure to safeguard city bounds

• Buildings that do not adhere to accepted building codes and designs that do not reflect the areas cultural norms

• Low levels of public awareness and participation

• Urban insecurity

• Crumbling city infrastructure

The majority of people responded positively to participation in a platform that is an opportunity for projects related to the development and smartness of their city and entered explanations such as the following.

• Everyone can contribute to the growth and development of the city, thereby enhancing the standard of living for its residents to the extent of their abilities and within the scope of their experience and knowledge.

• Every citizen has an obligation to work with their fellow city dwellers to ensure the growth and prosperity of their community.

• Cooperation infrastructure should be set up, the will to participate should be bolstered, people should be involved in ways that are tailored to their skill sets, and everyones talents should be assessed.

A number of participants also responded negatively to participation in the development and smartness of their city due to factors including Inadequate background in the subject field, insufficient time, and a lack of enthusiasm for contributing to the field. According to 78% of people, the introduction of smart city elements increases the quality of life in their city. They explained it in the following three ways.

• Through raising awareness and absorbing comments on this issue

• Through citizen-official cooperation, the efficient administration, planning, and enhancement of facilities

• Through enhancing human comfort, work speed, traffic and pollution control, time and money savings, and the environment

They believe that the smart city provides its citizens and society with the enhancement of welfare, peace, quality of life, services, traffic congestion, and public transportation. The following these items have been included accelerating and facilitating works, decreasing environmental pollution, minimizing costs and time, providing more security, preparing proper education and knowledge, using skills where they are most needed that lead to increased civic engagement, preserving natural resources, enhancing urban order, and as a direct consequence, higher levels of contentment and life expectancy, in addition to significant advancements brought about by the utilization of new methods and various technologies. 6.5% of people responded negatively to the implementation of smart city features in their city due to reasons such as the lack of adequate infrastructure and proper facilities for the establishment of smart city elements or the presence of more fundamental difficulties in the city. Also, 15.5% said they were unable to remark because they were not familiar enough with the smart citys components. 

Due to the reasons and benefits that the participants said the smart city brings to the city and citizens, the majority prefer to live in a smart city. Just 3.2% of respondents cited concerns that increased technological complexity in urban areas leads to increased problems and restrictions. 77% of these people welcome the smart transformation of their city, and they believe:

• Collaborating in this area gives them new life experiences and valuable learning opportunities.

• Everyone in a smart city stands to gain higher standards of living, greater prosperity, comfort and security, and lower levels of pollution.

• Availability of services and technologies is critical to the growth and development of a city because it allows for the resolution of pressing urban issues and the satisfaction of basic citizen demands.

• For a city that has stood still for years with nothing in the way of improvement, becoming smart is essential.

13% of them responded negatively in response to the desire to make their city smart. They cited a lack of awareness about the topic and an absence of a proper platform as reasons. The remaining respondents claimed to be unable to provide a response due to insufficient data about smart cities.

S.G. designed the study. S.G.; and A.R. performed the methodology and data analysis. S.G. composed the manuscript. All the authors checked and approved the final manuscript.