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Smart city initiatives aimed at enhancing sustainability, efficiency and quality of life often contribute to aggravating inequalities in urban areas. This paradox significantly affects young people as they rely on these cities for higher education and career progression. In this paper, we study how the development of smart city initiatives influences the migration and localisation of young people within a country. Using a panel dataset of 42 Italian smart city initiatives spanning 13 years, this study reveals that while smart cities serve as a catalyst for youth migration, socio-economic factors undermine inclusion goals and may exacerbate social and economic disparities.
Marchesani et al. (2026) studied this question.