Smart Solution and the Techno-Politics of A Vision

In 2011, Malmo, a city in Sweden signed the Climate Contract, a collaboration between the city government and private companies that aims to develop a sustainable and energy efficient city in Malmo. Through this contract, the impact of smart solutions in the City of Malmo to urban governance were studied. Darcy (2019, 2020) found that in establishing a vision there is a more complex process in the coordination of multiple groups. Although the Climate Contract and the following plans and strategies kick off the collaboration between urban stakeholders, the process of realising the vision requires more specific promises. 

In the example of Malmo, the vision encourages the private company to build the ecosystem for smarter and efficient energy use through smart grids, thus putting the city government as the passive actor in the implementation of the policy. However, other initiatives such as renewable energy, requires the city government to be more active as there is yet enough incentive for the private companies to create transformation. Darcy argued that, without the active role of the government, smart innovation in cities will very likely fail to institutionalise. 

Reference:

Parks, D. (2019). Energy efficiency left behind? Policy assemblages in Sweden’s most climate-smart city. European Planning Studies, 27(2), 318-335.

Parks, D. (2020). Promises and techno-politics: Renewable energy and Malmö’s vision of a climate-smart city. Science as Culture, 29(3), 388-409.

‍