Kulasekara, L B; Perera, B A K S and Perera, H A H P (2025) Impact of smart city system on the construction industry in Sri Lanka. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 23(2), pp. 546-568. ISSN 1726-0531
Abstract
Purpose: One prominent force behind sustainable growth is the growth of smart cities. Governments worldwide are beginning to concentrate on the Smart City System (SCS) towards a sustainable future. The construction sector plays a significant role in the development projects for smart cities. Hence, paying attention to research initiatives for smart cities is necessary because of the need for cooperation between the construction industry and SCS in developing countries. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of the SCS on the construction industry in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a mixed approach comprising a series of expert interviews and two rounds of a questionnaire survey. Content and statistical analyses were used to analyse and validate the empirical data collected during the study. Findings: The five most significant smart city elements affecting the construction industry were identified: technology and information technology infrastructure, environment, people, economy and governance, along with 15 significant enablers and 17 significant barriers of those smart city elements. Further, 18 significant strategies that can be adopted to overcome the barriers and enhance the enablers of those smart city elements were identified. Originality/value: This study's findings reveal that the synergy between the construction industry and the SCS would be a valuable reference for future studies in similar contexts. The construction industry in Sri Lanka will also benefit from the study findings, as the findings would help to improve the link between construction and smart cities. This study significantly benefits the society by revealing cost-effective ways to accelerate construction processes and develop cities sustainably.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction industry; significant elements; smart city; smart city system; sustainable development goals; questionnaire survey |
| Index terms: | future study, synergy, construction industry, sustainable development goal, Sri Lanka, statistical analysis, smart city, governance, information technology, construction sector, cooperation, questionnaire, methodology, construction process, survey, strategy, society, interview, developing country |
| Subjects: | research methods, sustainable design, Geography, development economics, building construction, communities and social development, psychology, management, partnership management, industry analysis, data collection methods, research design and methodology, business, urban sustainability, computing systems, data science |
| Topics: | Urban Studies, Digital Applications, International Construction, Site Management, Organizational Design, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Stakeholder Management, Governance, Geographical Context, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here