Developing an Urban Data Hub Model for Sustainable Municipal Revenue: Global Smart City Experiences and Strategic Insights for Mashhad Municipality

The rapid evolution of data-driven governance and artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed how cities generate, manage, and utilize information as a strategic asset. This study explores how establishing an Urban Data Hub (UDH) can serve as a sustainable revenue mechanism for municipalities, particularly focusing on the case of Mashhad, Iran. Drawing upon conceptual analysis and global experiences from leading smart cities such as Barcelona, Seoul, and Singapore, this paper proposes a framework where municipal data, once integrated, standardized, and monetized through public–private collaboration, becomes a new form of 'urban capital.' The research highlights technical, economic, and governance dimensions of such a model and identifies legal, ethical, and infrastructural challenges for implementation. Ultimately, it concludes that the institutionalization of an Urban Data Hub can shift Iranian municipalities from dependency on unstable construction-related revenues toward resilient, predictable, and innovation-driven income streams.

کلیدواژه ها:

Urban Data Hub ، Artificial Intelligence ، Sustainable Revenue ، Smart City ، Mashhad Municipality ، Data Economy