UX competitive analysis of smart city open data portals: usability framework, design recommendations, and a roadmap for sustainable data ecosystems

Abstract

Smart city open data portals serve as a nexus between the municipal administration and its residents. However, this depends heavily on their usability, which is understudied, including a lack of understanding of the design that would help achieve expected objectives. In this study, we (1) propose the framework to explore the features of open data portals, (2) apply the developed framework to open data portals of 116 out of 183 smart cities covered by Cities in Motion Index 2022, i.e., to all smart cities that have an open data portal, conducting their assessment by experts, which made it possible to (3) identify the most commonly implemented features, as well as the most promising, but not necessarily frequently implemented, and based on the results of the assessment, (4) identify additional features that could potentially be implemented to improve user-centricity, usability, and accessibility, thereby refining the used framework, proposing a list of 30 evidence-informed practices. Considering our findings and the most common characteristics that enabled us to identify common design patterns, we also define a 5-level readiness framework of the smart city portals, thereby providing a developmental roadmap for advancing their readiness. We conclude that an open data portal is integral to a smart city’s data ecosystem. However, to draw conclusions about the resilience and sustainability of this ecosystem, we must consider all its relevant components that synergically affect its development.