An ICTC Study
Work in Progress
Published by ICTC, May 2021
Smart cities are rapidly becoming a central component of both urban and technological development. While smart cities are likely to have significant labour market implications, little is known about the associated occupations that are emerging (or are likely to emerge) as smart city technologies become more prevalent. Using mixed methods — key informant interviews, a literature review, and web scraping of job data — this report profiles several such roles, describes their creation and evolution, and the accompanying responsibilities, backgrounds, skills, and teams. Roles are evaluated in five categories (Privacy, Cybersecurity, and Risk Management; Equity, Ethics, and Inclusivity; Innovation and Growth; Infrastructure and Mobility; Sustainability and Resilience), with a focus on professionals in senior positions who are driving smart city development. Across all categories, future skill needs will likely be centred around data and digital literacy combined with strong soft skills. Similarly, progressive career experience and professional or technical degrees will likely remain highly valued.
Researched and written by Akshay Kotak (Senior Economist & Research Analyst) and Khiran O’Neill (Research & Policy Analyst), with generous support from Rob Davidson (Director, Data Analytics), Arun Sharvirala (Data Analyst), Rosina Hamoni (Research Analyst), Amal Das (Junior Data Analyst), and the ICTC Digital Think Tank team.
Designed by Nick Routley
For in-depth insights into the digital economy and the policies that shape it, follow the Digital Think Tank by ICTC on Medium and sign up for our email briefing.
