Smart Cities, Sustainable Infrastructure and Urban Futures

Smart cities increasingly combine digital technologies with transport, energy, water, buildings and public- service systems. Their long-term value, however, depends on whether technology strengthens sustainability, resilience, affordability and citizen agency rather than merely increasing automation. This article presents a simulated empirical study of urban future readiness. A reproducible synthetic dataset representing 720 illustrative residents across low-, medium- and high-connectivity urban settings was generated using five-point scales. The model assessed digital public services, sustainable infrastructure, smart mobility, environmental performance, citizen participation, data governance and affordability pressure. Simulated results produced an overall readiness mean of 3.43 (SD = 0.70). Readiness differed across connectivity groups, F = 92.73, p < .001, eta-squared = 0.206; High-connectivity settings recorded higher readiness (3.82) than Low-connectivity settings (3.05). The regression model explained 56.0% of the variance. The findings are illustrative rather than population estimates. They support a people- centred model in which digital capacity creates public value only when it is aligned with sustainable infrastructure, affordability, transparent data governance and meaningful participation.