Journal profile · Social Sciences-Urban Studies
IET Smart Cities
ISSN 2631-7680 · Wiley · United Kingdom
IET Smart Cities: CAS Zone 4 · Economics (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.4 (journal website); fully open access; APC about USD 2,400; median 164 days to acceptance (40 articles, last 24 months); acceptance rate 24% (journal website); 23 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
IET Smart Cities is published by Wiley and is in Zone 4 of Economics in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Smart Cities and Technologies, Human Mobility and Location-Based Analysis and IoT and Edge/Fog Computing, together about 40.1% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Smart cities will evolve globally as the next big development that will change and improve the lives of billions. Smart cities will involve multiple disciplines, such as electrical engineering, computer science, civil engineering, environmental science, urban science, sustainable science, transportation engineering, sociology and living habitat. Smart cities have evolved to solve some of the world’s most pressing life issues, such as: traffic congestion, air pollution, health hazards, natural disasters, crimes, public safety, etc. IET Smart Cities is a gold Open Access multidisciplinary journal (indexed by Web of Science ESCI and Scopus Citescore) publishing the latest advances, research, and issues in Smart Cities. It addresses standards, architectures, frameworks, governance, technologies, systems, research, implementation, deployment, applications, indexes, rankings and policy. It also covers various applications of smart cities, such as smart health, transport, energy, homes, living, environment, etc. The list of topics includes: I. SMART CITY RESEARCH & ADVANCES Smart City Standards, Roadmaps, Blueprints, and Frameworks: International Standards for smart sustainable cities Standard development efforts by working groups Interoperability frameworks of smart cities City Roadmaps, blueprints and future directions Smart City Design, Technologies, and Implementation: Smart city ICT system design, models, requirements, specifications Smart city ICT system architectures, and services Smart city operating systems and software CITY BRAIN, operations, management and control 5G/NG/NB-IoT/C-IoT Wireless and optical connectivity Radio spectrum and backbone networks Mobile ad hoc, mesh, LPWAN networks IoT, IoX and sensor technologies V2X, EV, and AV technologies Geospatial and positioning technologies Cloud and edge computing for smart cities Distributed storage and computing for smart cities Data centers design for smart cities Security protocols, AAA, blockchain, etc. for smart cities Data Analytics and Geospatial for smart cities Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for smart cities Neural Networks and Deep Learning for smart cities Urban Computing Implementation issues and challenges Trials, pilots, proof-of-concepts (PoCs) Integration, testing and deployment issues Smart City Indexes, Metrics, Comparisons, and Rankings: City Maturity models and benchmarking metrics Global Cities Rankings and comparisons Smart Cities Indexes, Criteria, Indicators Perform
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Social Sciences-Urban Studies
Editor-in-chief William WebbPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 20 in mainland China (about 22%); most named Mainland China 20, United Kingdom 19, United States 13, South Korea 7, Spain 6 (89 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Smart Cities and TechnologiesEngineering19.5%
- Human Mobility and Location-Based AnalysisSocial Sciences11.7%
- IoT and Edge/Fog ComputingComputer Science9%
- Smart Grid Energy ManagementEngineering6.2%
- Traffic Prediction and Management TechniquesEngineering4.3%
- Transportation Planning and OptimizationSocial Sciences3.9%
- Traffic control and managementEngineering3.5%
- Innovative Approaches in Technology and Social DevelopmentBusiness, Management and Accounting3.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Economics Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Information Systems | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Engineering, Electrical & Electronic | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Telecommunications | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Economics Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Information Systems | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Engineering, Electrical & Electronic | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Telecommunications | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexWeb of ScienceINSPECPublisher website
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.4Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 7.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 7.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.59LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.99LetPub ·
- h-index
- 27OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 72OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.13OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 19LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 20Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 77,377Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 202 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 20 | 20 | 4 |
| 2025 | 23 | 23 | 70 |
| 2024 | 25 | 25 | 207 |
| 2023 | 29 | 29 | 351 |
| 2022 | 31 | 31 | 359 |
| 2021 | 25 | 25 | 358 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
164 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 101 days – 251 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 23 days (41 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 210 days
- Sample
- 40 articles with submission and acceptance dates (43 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 21 weeksLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 24%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 24%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 32 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 32 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 171 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 24 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 21 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 2,400 / GBP 1,850 / EUR 2,170 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-ND, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 2,340 / EUR 2,120 / GBP 1,800 | — | — | |
| LetPub | EUR 2,000 / GBP 1,700 / USD 2,200 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Article types accepted12
- case studyCase Study Report on a specific instance of an interesting or particular phenomenon or instance related to research areas covered by a journal’s scope.Length not stated
- commentaryThe following article types are included in IET Smart Cities: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review/Survey Critically ex…Length not stated
- industry articleIndustry Article A report from industrial-based scientists undertaking R&D on a new technology, application or technique which may facilitate future product dev…Length not stated
- opinionThe following article types are included in IET Smart Cities: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review/Survey Critically ex…Length not stated
- original researchThe following article types are included in IET Smart Cities: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review/Survey Critically ex…Length not stated
- original research paperThe following article types are included in IET Smart Cities: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review/Survey Critically ex…Length not stated
- perspectiveThe following article types are included in IET Smart Cities: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review/Survey Critically ex…Length not stated
- research articleThe following article types are included in IET Smart Cities: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review/Survey Critically ex…Length not stated
- reviewThe following article types are included in IET Smart Cities: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review/Survey Critically ex…Length not stated
- review articleThe following article types are included in IET Smart Cities: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review/Survey Critically ex…Length not stated
- review/surveyReview/Survey Critically examines the body of research on a particular subject and give insights/informed opinions on the direction and future of the research f…Length not stated
- surveyThe following article types are included in IET Smart Cities: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review/Survey Critically ex…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use
AI tools not recognised as authors Model summary
The IET does not recognise AI tools as authors or as able to fulfil authorship criteria, as they cannot take responsibility for the submitted work.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship
Submission limit: 5 per journal, 10 across IET journals per 12 months Model summary
For a complete overview of our Ethical Policies for the IET journals, please click here. The IET believes in clear, transparent and verifiable authorship. In line with ICMJE guidance, to qualify for authorship, each individual must: Have made a substantial contribution to the concept or design of the article; or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the article; AND Drafted t…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Sharing and Data Availability
Data sharing expected Model summary
IET journals expects data sharing. Please review Wiley’s Data Sharing policy where you will be able to see and select the data availability statement that is right for your submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Reproduction of Copyright Material
If excerpts from copyrighted works owned by third parties are included, credit must be shown in the contribution. It is your responsibility to also obtain written permission for reproduction from the copyright owners. For more information visit Wiley’s Copyright Terms and Conditions FAQ. The corresponding author is responsible for obtaining written permission to reproduce the material "in print an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access 1. Open Access
All IET journals are Gold Open Access titles. Submissions will be subject to an APC if accepted and published in the journal. You can read more about APCs and whether you may be eligible for waivers or discounts, through your institution, funder, or a country waiver. There is no charge for submitting to IET journals.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review 5. Peer Review and Decisions
IET Smart Cities operates under a single-anonymized peer review model. Papers will only be sent to review if the Editor-in-Chief (or designated Editor) determines that the paper meets the appropriate quality and relevance requirements. Except where otherwise stated, peer review is handled by an Associate Editor, who will engage at least two anonymous reviewers. The final decision to publish is mad…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint Policy
Preprint policy: preprints accepted Model summary
Please find the Wiley preprint policy here. All IET journals accept articles previously published on preprint servers. All IET journals will consider review articles previously available as preprints. You are requested to update any pre-publication versions with a link to the final published article. You may also post the final published version of the article immediately after publication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Country or region
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2631-7680
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 8, Issue 1 (December 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about IET Smart Cities
What CAS zone is IET Smart Cities in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, IET Smart Cities is in Zone 4 of Economics, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Computer Science, Information Systems / Engineering, Electrical & Electronic / Telecommunications. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Economics. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of IET Smart Cities?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 3.4 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 7.3, h-index 27.
How long does peer review take at IET Smart Cities?
Based on the dates recorded on 40 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 164 days (interquartile range 101–251 days); authors report an average review time of about 21 weeks; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 24% (2025). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of IET Smart Cities based?
Of the 89 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 20 (about 22%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (20), United Kingdom (19) and United States (13). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index IET Smart Cities?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, IET Smart Cities is indexed in ESCI, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, Web of Science and INSPEC; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is IET Smart Cities open access, and what is the APC?
IET Smart Cities is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 2,400.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex, DOAJ; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .