Smart City Perception Gap between Government and Citizen

Through survey and content analysis, Vidiasova and Cronemberger (2020), study the perception of two important stakeholders in building smart cities, the local government and the citizens in St. Petersburg, Russia. The study found that despite a high level of engagement with e-government tools, citizens perceived smart city initiatives differently than the local government. Some of the perceived discrepancy includes the informational gaps across government, business and citizens in the proposed program-investment principle of city program management, unclear orientation on common priorities and public values and mismatch between perceptions of different stakeholders on the role of collaborative practices.

The lack of uniform understanding of the smart city initiatives may result in the long-term divide between the government and citizens. Vidiasova and Cronemberger highlight the concern for the government to bridge the gap of understanding with effective communication of the initiatives. It is also important that there is a continuous participation with the public to regularly calibrate the programs according to the changes of needs over time. Thus, ensure the citizen’s satisfaction and achievement of the goals. 

Reference:

Vidiasova, L., & Cronemberger, F. (2020). Discrepancies in perceptions of smart city initiatives in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Sustainable cities and society, 59, 102158.

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