Type

• Bachelor Thesis Business Information Systems

Status

offered

Tutor

• Tim Brée

Abstract

Background and Motivation

Smart City initiatives aim to address a wide range of urban challenges, such as sustainable mobility, climate adaptation, flood protection, or energy transition. To monitor and evaluate progress in these areas, municipalities increasingly rely on indicator-based assessments and key performance indicators (KPIs). However, while numerous KPIs are discussed in academic literature and policy frameworks, many of these indicators are not systematically collected or readily available in municipal practice.

In particular, cities often face limitations in terms of data availability, data quality, and organizational capacity, which restrict the feasibility of comprehensive indicator-based assessments. As a result, Smart City studies frequently rely on proxy indicators or technology-driven metrics, while domain-specific and context-sensitive indicators remain underdeveloped or underutilized. 

Domain-specific indicator systems therefore need to balance analytical ambition with practical feasibility. They should reflect the specific characteristics of individual Smart City domains while taking into account which KPIs are realistically measurable and accessible for municipalities. Such systems can support more meaningful assessments and improve the interpretability of comparative Smart City analyses.

Research Objectives

The objective of this bachelor thesis is to develop and analyze an indicator system for one selected Smart City domain. The specific domain (e.g., mobility, climate adaptation, flood protection, energy) will be defined in coordination with the supervisor.

The thesis aims to:

• Identify and review relevant indicators and indicator frameworks for the selected Smart City domain in academic literature and applied studies;

• Systematically structure domain-specific indicators within a coherent indicator system;

• Analyze qualitative relationships and interdependencies between indicators within the selected domain;

• Assess the practical applicability and feasibility of the indicators from a municipal perspective, including data availability and collection effort;

• Derive recommendations for the design of domain-specific indicator systems for Smart City assessments.

Methodology

The thesis will follow a structured qualitative research approach, including:

• A systematic literature review focusing on indicators and KPIs for the selected Smart City domain;

• Conceptual analysis and structuring of indicators into a coherent indicator system;

• Qualitative assessment of indicator relevance, data availability, and feasibility, potentially supported by expert interviews with municipal practitioners;

• Synthesis of findings into a domain-specific indicator system proposal.

The methodological scope will be aligned with the requirements of a bachelor thesis.

Expected Contribution

This bachelor thesis will provide a structured and practice-oriented analysis of indicators for a specific Smart City domain. The results will contribute to a better understanding of how domain-specific indicator systems can be designed to balance analytical rigor with practical feasibility in municipal contexts.

Interested students are invited to send an e-mail to: tim.bree (at) uni-due.de