City attachment and use of urban services: Benefits for smart cities

• Benefits for smart cities derived from a higher use of urban services are reviewed.
• The relevance of city attachment for urban services management is analyzed.
• Personal attitudes and needs have a positive influence on the use of urban services.
• Holding user cards and the level of education also affect the use of urban services.
• City attachment affects the use of urban services indirectly via attitude.

Increasing uses of urban services enhance urban management efficiency and also favor social, environmental, and economic sustainability. This research analyzes how users' city attachment levels and other personal determinants contribute to their uses of urban services. Focusing on the city of Zaragoza (Spain), the empirical study reveals that personal attitudes and needs, possession of user cards, and education levels have positive influences on the use of urban services. City attachment affects use indirectly through attitude. This study also presents some innovative approaches to advance the development of smart cities and suggests implications for managing citizen-oriented urban services to achieve higher living standards.