Intention to live in a smart city based on its characteristics in the perception by the young public

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the intention of living in a smart city as from its characteristics in the individual perception by the young public based on the proposal of an expanded model. Design/methodology/approach The empirical research carried out herein was based on a survey, consisting of a sample of 380 valid questionnaires. Data analysis was carried out through multivariate quantitative approach using structural equation modeling, with estimation by partial least square. Findings In the model, it was possible to adapt all the characteristics of smart cities. The “environment” characteristic was the one that presented the greatest relationship in contributing to efficiencies that allow the migration of citizens and in reducing the environmental impact in the cities’ quality, and the “economy” characteristic was the one that presented the lowest relationship opening the opportunity that this concept can be more widespread within the economic agents and individuals for the society. Originality/value Finally, it is argued that efficiency in all characteristics will depend on the engagement of citizens in the innovation processes of public living in general. The smart city is distinguished from other typologies due to its success in the field of innovation, essentially depending on the collaborative process that is developed in environments that encourage discovery and idea generation.