Holistic sustainability in smart cities: Overcoming trade-offs in the use and effects of digital innovations

This paper examines the complex tensions and trade-offs between different dimensions of sustainability in Smart Cities. The starting point is the observation that while many Smart City initiatives drive technological innovation, they often fail to achieve a holistic integration of ecological, social, and economic sustainability goals. Holistic sustainability is understood here as an integrative approach in which ecological integrity, social justice, economic resilience, and technological innovation are not treated in isolation, but as interconnected and equally important dimensions of urban development. In addition, the concept of Urban Digitainability is introduced, which goes beyond a purely functional view of digital technologies. It emphasizes both their potential to promote sustainability goals and the necessity to critically assess these technologies themselves in terms of their ecological, social, and economic viability. Based on three analytical axes of conflict developed in this paper, illustrative cases from Hamburg's HafenCity are examined to reveal existing tensions and trade-offs within different dimensions of sustainability. The analysis shows that digital solutions are not a panacea for all sustainability visions; rather, they can reinforce existing imbalances or create new challenges.