The concept of smart cities has become a key element of sustainable urban development in the 21st century. Smart cities are a response to the complex challenges of urbanization, environmental change, and the need for efficient management of urban resources.
The theoretical part of the thesis presents the main components of a smart city and introduces the IMD Smart City Index. It focuses on understanding the core characteristics of smart cities, the technologies that drive them, and the challenges and opportunities they bring to modern urban centres. The empirical part of the thesis focuses on the analysis of the IMD Smart City Index and on the city of Ljubljana as a case study. We analysed the factors that rank certain cities at the top of the index and identified what Ljubljana could do to improve its position. A survey was also conducted to explore how the residents of Ljubljana perceive the current state of the city, what they wish for, and where they see obstacles – either in themselves (e.g. lack of digital skills) or in the environment.
The analysis of both the index and the survey shows that Ljubljana has made significant progress toward becoming a smart city in recent years; however, there are still areas with room for improvement. Among these, traffic congestion, housing issues, and citizen involvement in decision-making processes stand out the most.
This thesis highlights the advantages and disadvantages of smart cities and contributes to a better understanding of the smart city concept in the Slovenian context. It also encourages further reflection on the future of urban digital transformation, with Ljubljana serving both as an example of good practice and as a challenge for the future.
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