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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Built Environ.
Sec. Sustainable Design and Construction
Volume 10 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fbuil.2024.1398425
This article is part of the Research Topic Sustainable Housing Development: Access to Affordable and Smart Housing for the Poor View all articles

Exploring the Impact of Smart cities on improving the quality of life for people with disabilities in Saudi Arabia

Provisionally accepted
Razaz W. Attar Razaz W. Attar 1*Mohammed Habes Mohammed Habes 2,3*Ahlam Almusharraf Ahlam Almusharraf 1*Amal H. Alhazmi Amal H. Alhazmi 1*Renad W. Attar Renad W. Attar 4*
  • 1 College of Business and Administration, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • 2 Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
  • 3 Department of Radio and Television, Faculty of Mass Communication, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Irbid, Jordan
  • 4 Department of medical education,College of medicine ,King abdulaziz university, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    By using advanced technologies and data analytics, smart cities can establish conditions that are both inclusive and accessible, addressing the distinctive needs of disabled people. This research aims to examine the benefits of smart city technologies and develop strategies for developing environments that serve the requirements of individuals with disabilities in Saudi Arabia. Using a sequential mixed method, the study uses the social disability model. The initial phase involves gathering quantitative data from 427 individuals with disabilities in Saudi Arabia. Further, qualitative data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with a sample of four professionals employed in Saudi smart city initiatives. Quantitative data is analyzed using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), while qualitative data is analyzed using thematic analysis. Quantitative findings revealed the robustness of the measurement model, confirming the significant effects of Smart City Initiatives on Accessibility Enhancement, Inclusive Information, and Health and Well-being Improvement. The respondents indicated that they are satisfied with the initiatives and their effectiveness, providing them with equal services and opportunities without discrimination. The qualitative analysis further revealed themes, i.e., Technology Integration for Accessibility, Inclusive Design, Inclusive Planning for Health, and others. Participants indicated special consideration for implementing the designs and approaches to ensure inclusivity and availability of services to disabled people. Besides, implementing infrastructure and policies to ensure the health and well-being of disabled people also remained prevalent. Hence, it is concluded that smart city initiatives break obstacles and improve the well-being of individuals with disabilities. Improved healthcare services and inclusive urban planning highlight the transformative effect of these initiatives on health and well-being, promoting an equitable and sustainable services environment. Finally, research implications and limitations are discussed.

    Keywords: Smart city, urban planning, strategy, Disabled people, Saudi Arabia, sustainability

    Received: 09 Mar 2024; Accepted: 09 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Attar, Habes, Almusharraf, Alhazmi and Attar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Razaz W. Attar, College of Business and Administration, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
    Mohammed Habes, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
    Ahlam Almusharraf, College of Business and Administration, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
    Amal H. Alhazmi, College of Business and Administration, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
    Renad W. Attar, Department of medical education,College of medicine ,King abdulaziz university, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.