The Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Owner-operations (AECO) industry faces a persistent digital paradox: although technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), digital twins (DT), and artificial intelligence (AI) have transformed specific workflows, their application across the full building lifecycle remains fragmented and underutilized. This fragmentation limits progress toward integrated, sustainable, and intelligence-driven construction management. Employing a triangulation methodology, the study integrates three complementary approaches: (1) a qualitative synthesis of recent academic and industry literature, (2) a global survey on state-of-the-art in the industry, and (3) a comparative literature analysis of international smart city initiatives. This multi-faceted approach enables a more robust and nuanced understanding of how Integrated Data Environments (IDEs), AI-supported BIM workflows, and digital twin platforms can support improved data integration across the design–construction–operation continuum. The analysis highlights the importance of public-sector governance, open interoperability standards, and strategic information management as enablers for fostering long-term digital integration aligned with urban sustainability goals. Findings suggest that smart cities can provide institutional context, regulatory frameworks, and technological infrastructure needed to enhance digital lifecycle practices at project and district scales in construction management. By positioning digital lifecycle data as a core component of smart and sustainable built environments, this paper contributes a governance-oriented perspective on embedding lifecycle thinking within city-scale digital ecosystems. The paper aligns with the missions of SASBE and CIB W116 by promoting multidisciplinary collaboration and supporting innovation toward digital construction management.