Local governments during the pandemic: shifting the S.M.A.R.T paradigm

Due to the pandemic, new challenges and opportunities are emerging for local governments (LGs) in terms of digital growth for smart, sustainable, accountable, and interconnected cities. Starting from these considerations, the paper aims to contribute to the debate on the new connotations of the smart city paradigm due to the spread of COVID-19, by identifying new key elements and common areas of application of smart cities initiatives coming out in the current scenario, in addition to those identified by the consolidated literature. The study in based on a qualitative investigation approach that employs the multiple case study methodology. Interviews with directors, managers and technicians of LGs shed light on new categories connected to the smart city paradigm due to the pandemic situation which, combined, allow ‘transforming’ the acronym of S.M.A.R.T. into a new one here proposed: safety; mitigation; accountability; resilience; and traceability.