Smart City Initiatives: Recommendation for Local Government

In 2019, Dowling et al. documented the smart city initiatives Australian Local Governments’ employ in their jurisdiction. With the limited resources and scale that municipalities have, local governments should be deliberate in implementing Smart City Initiatives in their jurisdiction. The study suggested that a specific strategy in a smart city is not necessary to become a smarter city. Piecemeal strategy or delivering service through ad hoc is feasible, for example installing sensors to improve waste collection in the municipality or creating apps/website-based solutions. However, to carry out actions that are more complex or employ infrastructurally demanding technology, such as providing open data platforms, an explicit Smart City Strategy is critical. Thus, if the resources are limited for a municipality, piecemeal approaches have proven effective in improving the smartness of the city. However, if the goal is to achieve a more transformative city, then it is recommended that a smart city strategy is established to help leverage broader support politically and financially. 

Reference:

Dowling, R., McGuirk, P., & Gillon, C. (2019). Strategic or piecemeal? Smart city initiatives in Sydney and Melbourne. Urban Policy and Research, 37(4), 429-441.

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