As the development of smart city initiatives, concerns have emerged about its inequality of social impacts, particularly in rapidly aging and digitizing societies. This research analyses the effect of smart city construction (SCC) on the life satisfaction of middle-aged and older adults in China, a developing country undergoing urbanization, digital development and aging. Based on panel data from five waves (2011−2020) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we employ a staggered difference-in-differences (DID), approach to estimate the causal impact of SCC. The results indicate that SCC is associated with a statistically significant decline in life satisfaction among middle-aged and older adults, particularly in the early years after policy implementation. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that this negative effect is concentrated among individuals with lower socioeconomic status (SES) and those living in rural areas, suggesting that SCC may exacerbate existing digital inequalities. Although the negative impact appears to attenuate over time, the short-term exclusionary effects raise critical issues about the inclusivity of governance. These results underline the need for more equitable policy frameworks that account for the specific needs of aging and digitally disadvantaged populations. To ensure that SCC contributes to collective well-being, future urban policies must incorporate inclusive design, digital literacy support, and attention to urban-rural disparities.
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Liu et al. (2026) studied this question.
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