Evaluating Cities and Real Estate Smartness and Integration: Introducing a Comprehensive Evaluation Framework
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Very interesting well-written, well-structured paper exploring a new comprehensive evaluation framework for smart cities and smart real estate levels. The goals, methods and results are clearly stated and the work brings clear contributions to the field. I definitely recommend the paper for publication on its present form.
Author Response
Comment: Very interesting well-written, well-structured paper exploring a new comprehensive evaluation framework for smart cities and smart real estate levels. The goals, methods and results are clearly stated and the work brings clear contributions to the field. I definitely recommend the paper for publication on its present form.
Response: We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the effort and expertise that you contributed in reviewing the article. We are thrilled that you have found our manuscript interesting. Thank you for your feedback, and for recommending our paper, we sincerely appreciate it.
Reviewer 2 Report
The framework can be extended to evaluate the performance of smart buildings and smart neighborhoods, which are emerging as essential components of the smart city ecosystem.
Author Response
Comment: The framework can be extended to evaluate the performance of smart buildings and smart neighborhoods, which are emerging as essential components of the smart city ecosystem.
Response: Thank you for the effort and expertise that you contributed in reviewing the article. We agree with your valuable comment. The Smart Real Estate evaluation framework is catering for smart buildings, for the smart neighborhood level, it can be part of future studies. On the reviewer’s recommendation, we have added [Additionally, a possible extension to the smart neighborhood level.] as part of the Future Research Possibilities section.
Reviewer 3 Report
Dear/s Author/s,
Re: Manuscript “Evaluating Cities and Real Estate Smartness and Integration: 2
Introducing a Comprehensive Evaluation Framework”
Reviewer’s report:
The paper deals with an interesting and current topic such as analyzing smart cities and real estate projects to increase their smartness and integration. Rural areas are becoming more and more depopulated and people tend to concentrate in big cities. I think it would be useful to justify more clearly the different categories, subcategories and indicators and the literature. To this end, it might be convenient to set out the supporting theory in the tables themselves.
Likewise, in the discussion there is little contrast with the theoretical framework and it appears next to the results. It would be necessary to present two different sections. In the results, what has actually been obtained should be presented. For the discussion, the authors should contrast these results with the theoretical framework.
Finally, the conclusions should be shorter, basically stating whether the objectives have been met.
Best regards
Author Response
We would like to thank you for the time and effort that you dedicated to reviewing our manuscript. Your valuable comments led to possible improvements to our manuscript.
Please see the attachment
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 4 Report
In the first place, the research proposes the combination and integration of a wide catalog of indicators, categories and subcategories to evaluate the most useful and efficient possible application of the SC and SER-SB. Undoubtedly, an essential factor for the coherent, sustainable and technological development of cities and the real estate sector. This is the great contribution of this study.
The exhaustive methodological approach, with complete unpublished annexes, specifies and defines a large number of indicators in each area of implementation. In the cities, 7 general categories, 28 subcategories and 85 indicators, with a total score of 560 points. In buildings (or real estate) 7 categories, 28 subcategories and 92 indicators with a total score of 255 points. The authors explain in detail the criteria for the selection of these aspects and the cities and buildings analyzed. As well as the use of the SPSS program to establish the correlation between SC and SER-SB. This allows its use in other cases and the detection of possible improvements.
However, it would be convenient to explain clearly how the field work has been carried out. That is, how the evaluation and validation of the score is determined. Throughout the text there is no direct reference to whether direct observation has been used, documentary sources, websites, reports have been consulted or, where appropriate, surveys or interviews have been carried out.
An issue that seems of vital importance to review refers to the content of section 2.4 that is avoided when addressing the argument in the final part of the discussion and conclusions. I mean that, by contextualizing the research, it is quantified that traditional (non-intelligent) buildings account for 40% of the consumption of energy resources and 24% of the greenhouse effect worldwide. Likewise, the factors of transparency and participation are pointed out as determinants for smart cities.It would be opportune to reflect on the possible biases that the research may have by not including any country or city in South America or Africa in the study. All the chosen cities, albeit with justified criteria, are located in rich countries with consolidated democracies. In fact, Singapore is the only city-state located on the Asian continent.
What happens with real estate projects in working-class, peripheral neighborhoods or located in the urban outskirts? Or with the central neighborhoods that are undergoing increasing processes of gentrification and touristification?
Finally, in recent news, the IMF places countries like China, India, Brazil and Russia among the 10 world economic powers as of the year 2028. The level of pollution is considerable. The lack of democracy and transparency in some of them is more than remarkable when dealing with authoritarian systems or autocracies, in some cases. A good part of the world's population lives in its megacities. And, despite everything, in some of these countries there are still large population groups that are excluded and at risk of poverty whose access to decent housing has major complications. How can all this be made compatible and dealt with by relating it to the theme exposed in this research?
Author Response
We would like to thank you for the time and effort that you dedicated to reviewing our manuscript. Your valuable comments led to possible improvements to our manuscript.
"Please see the attachment."
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 3 Report
Dear/s Author/s,
Re: Manuscript “Evaluating Cities and Real Estate Smartness and Integration: Introducing a Comprehensive Evaluation Framework”
Reviewer’s report:
Having observed the authors' explanations, my recommendation is to publish the paper.
Best regards
