Abstract
The discourse on smart cities promises an era of innovative urban planning driven by smart technologies that are capable of sensing, analysing and efficiently managing urban dynamics. But do smart cities, by default, lead towards sustainable development? This chapter focuses on one of the most adventurous smart city programs in India, engaging 100 cities and a US$14 billion investment. It builds a sustainability assessment framework to measure the social, economic, environmental and institutional outcomes from the extensive information and communication technology‐led developments offering an on‐ground picture of the widening gap between the promises and realities of the smart city. The findings from this chapter, along with other global case studies, build on the knowledge base to support a just transition of cities to meet the unprecedented sustainable development challenges in an increasingly digitally moderated society.