Abstract

Purpose: The study aimed to empirically test the impact of innovative information technology services, environmental concerns, transportation issues, and infrastructure development on the smart urban growth of Saudi Arabia. The study also tested the mediating effect of urban planning knowledge. Methodology: Through cross-sectional research design data were collected from 380 employees and planners of urban cities in Saudi Arabia employing a purposive sampling technique. Both descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted using SPSS software. Findings: Direct effect multiple regression analysis results show that innovative IT services namely cloud services, IOT services, and NFC services have a positive and significant impact on smart urban growth. Environmental concerns, transportation issues, and infrastructure development also positively and significantly impact smart urban growth. The indirect effect results also show that urban planning knowledge partially mediates among all relationships. Implications: The important findings highlighted a novel role of urban planning knowledge in driving smart urban growth in Saudi Arabia. This research also provides actionable insights for policymakers to prioritize integrating advanced technologies with urban planning to increase sustainable development. Limitations and future directions were also discussed at the end of the study.