The rapid growth of digital technologies and the expansion of the smart city approach have become central to contemporary urban planning and management. Nevertheless, significant ambiguities remain regarding the extent to which smart city initiatives effectively enhance urban livability and residents’ lived experiences, particularly in dense and central urban areas of developing cities. This study aims to explain and empirically examine the relationships between smart city components and various dimensions of urban livability in District 6 of Tehran, with particular attention to the gap between technology-driven policies and citizens’ perceptions. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 13 urban managers, experts, and specialists involved in smart city development and were analyzed using thematic analysis. Quantitative data were gathered through a questionnaire based on seven core constructs and administered to 386 residents of the study area, and subsequently analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings indicate that smart city components have a statistically significant impact on urban livability; however, the magnitude and direction of these effects vary across constructs. Dimensions related to smart governance, social justice and inclusion, and the quality of lived experience play a more substantial role in explaining urban livability, whereas technological access alone, in the absence of strengthened institutional and social capacities, demonstrates limited effectiveness. Overall, the results suggest that achieving urban livability within the smart city framework requires a context-sensitive and human-centered approach that goes beyond purely technological solutions.