스마트 건강도시 시대, 건강도시 평가의 재정립을 위한 논의

Reorienting Healthy City Evaluation in the Era of Smart Healthy Cities: A Commentary

This commentary discusses the evolution and current limitations of healthy city evaluation in South Korea and argues that the rise of the Smart Healthy City marks a turning point for reconfiguring evaluation frameworks. While the World Health Organization defines evaluation as a governance tool for learning and strengthening urban health capacity, evaluation practice in Korea has remained administrative, focusing on project outcomes rather than adaptive improvement. Three main approaches― result-oriented, governance-oriented, and process-oriented―have emerged but remain fragmented. The Smart Healthy City discourse offers an opportunity to connect digital innovation with participatory and equitable governance. Yet in Korea, it remains ambiguous and overly technology-centered, overshadowing the core values of participation, equity, and sustainability. Future frameworks should recognize that the meaning of “smart” differs across cities, allowing flexibility for contextual experimentation and mutual learning. Evaluation should assess not the presence of technology but how it enables cities to learn, collaborate, and advance health equity through inclusive governance. Clarifying the boundaries between Smart Cities and Smart Healthy Cities is essential to ensure that technological innovation complements rather than replaces the health-oriented vision of urban governance. Evaluation in the Smart Healthy City era must become a collective social commitment that helps cities learn, adapt, and co-design healthier futures.