This paper explores how the full adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) can serve as a strategic enabler for smart city development in cities. The research question centers on identifying barriers and enablers for city-wide BIM transformation to automate building plan compliance checking. Drawing on BEAM Society’s experience with iBEAM Unison—an openBIM platform that extracts BIM data to support BEAM Plus green building assessment and sustainability analysis—this study investigates practical challenges and lessons learned from real-world application. The methodology includes comprehensive analysis of industry feedback, workflow studies, and policy contexts in Hong Kong, identifying gaps such as disparate BIM practices, absence of a localised buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD), the need for workflow adaptation to incorporate sustainability parameters and limited familiarity with openBIM principles. Based on these insights, the paper proposes a detailed multi-component framework for gradual and full BIM adoption across the building industry. Key elements include an advanced openBIM compliance checking platform to automate regulatory review; development of a Hong Kong–specific bSDD and tailored code of practice; plugins assisting BIM model authoring; capacity-building initiatives for practitioners and authorities; and workflow redesign to enable collaboration, approval, and compliance checking in a digital environment. The framework also envisions future expansion through geographical information systems (GIS) and artificial intelligence (AI) integration and to enable dynamic simulations and optimise building design compliance against local building code. This framework aligns with upcoming HKSAR government mandates for BIM submission in building plan approvals, offering a scalable roadmap to accelerate industry transformation toward smart, sustainable urban development. Although developed for Hong Kong, the framework provides adaptable insights and a modular approach suitable for international adoption in cities aiming to advance BIM applicability and smart city development.