Criteria for Selecting and Analyzing Present and Past Cities to Compare Their “Smartness” Across Time

Abstract

This paper proposes a methodological framework for comparing historical and contemporary
cities in relation to urban smartness. The study aims to identify transferable criteria that enable
cities from different periods to be assessed without reducing smartness to digitalisation.
Alexandria, Rome and Antioch were selected for their strategic Mediterranean position,
historical representativeness and long-term continuity. Using an interdisciplinary qualitative
comparative method, ten criteria, i.e., infrastructure, mobility, innovation, sustainability,
governance, resilience, quality of life, health, culture and urban justice, were applied across
ancient, medieval and contemporary periods. The results show that organisation, efficiency,
adaptability and sustainability persisted over time, although they assumed different historical
forms. The main contribution is a transferable framework linking smart-city studies with urban
history by assessing long-term urban smartness through continuity, adaptability and resilience,
while offering a replicable tool for comparative urban research across diverse contexts and
cases.