Smart cities-irrespective of whether they are new towns or part of the revitalization of existing cities-must address economic sustainability in addition to social and environmental sustainability.Our previous research has formulated a "triple bottom line" evaluation framework that allows urban planning policies and strategic plans to be compared quantitatively (Doust and Black, 2009).One issue in the economic sustainability of smart cities is employment creation especially in new niche industries.We frame this problem in the context of developing countries and special economic zones (SEZ) and the interconnected issues of employment creation, the necessary internal and external infrastructure required to support the local economy, and effective urban management and planning to deliver an appropriate urban form that could be considered as a "smart city".To do this we define methodologies for evidence-based policy analysis of the problem drawn from an analogy from evidence-based medicine.We draw on a World Bank study of special economic zones in developing and developed countries to tease out evidence on the poor performance in terms of spatial and master planning of many special economic zones.Our empirical evidence on planning policies, spatial development and employment creation and outcomes with particular emphasis on timelincs are drawn from green-field and brown-field (urban revitalization) site case studies from metropolitan Sydney, Australia in the local government areas of Penrith, Botany and Maitland City Council (Lochinvar).The conclusions suggest in the case of successful special economic zones with a smart city component the need for a government authority to set strategic directions, leading edge urban planning and development controls and a strong private-sector participation in the implementation of special economic zones including job creation.