Startup-Driven Air-Front Smart City Policy Evaluation Using Integrated Accessibility Index: A Case Study of Aichi, Singapore, and Munich

The Air-front Smart City (ASC) concept is proposed to address the stagnation of industries in developed countries and stimulate economic growth in developing countries while maintaining a higher quality of life for people and contributing to decarbonization and overall United Nations SDGs in an existing study. However, no studies have been conducted to assess ASC policies. Therefore, this study integrates the integrated accessibility index into the quality of life (QOL) and quality of business (QOB) evaluation models to assess the startup ecosystem in Aichi, Singapore, and Munich within the ASC concept. The study uses survey data conducted in Aichi to estimate monetary values of QOL and QOB component indicators, calculates the integrated accessibility indices, and estimates QOL and QOB. Furthermore, the study sets scenarios to assess the impacts of living and business urban policies in Aichi. Additionally, the study using Aichi parameters compares the startup ecosystem in Singapore and Munich. The result shows that the key drivers of startup attraction are corporate tax rate, economic growth, and safety; enhancing these indicators directly increases startups' QOB, business partners, and residents' QOL. It was found that QOB in Singapore is comparatively higher, whereas QOL is higher in Aichi.