Smart City Strategy: Challenges of Global Smart Cities

Public sector organisations around the world often face challenges in implementing smart city initiatives and governing the process of digital transformation due to its novelty and complexity. The UN Habitat conducted a survey to map these challenges by surveying 300 respondents knowledgeable on smart city governance in more than 250 municipalities in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. The technical report published explains how smart city governance is being approached by cities across the world. This examination can serve as a guide for global smart cities to practice their smart city initiatives. The following are what global smart cities face as challenges in creating and implementing smart city strategies.

While many municipalities adopt strategic tools such as vision statements and strategic plans, some cities work on smart city initiatives without formalized tools, leading to ambiguity and potential negative impact on collaboration. The objectives of smart city initiatives vary based on local economic, environmental, and social conditions, indicating their integration into overall city management. However, monitoring and measuring the outcomes of these initiatives are limited by the absence of clear metrics. Municipal governments often lack the required competencies and an innovation-oriented mindset, hindering digital innovation efforts and causing resistance to change. Additionally, the implementation of legal frameworks and regulations specific to smart city initiatives is a major challenge worldwide, influenced by the lack of solid regulatory frameworks and limited legal expertise within municipal governments. Ethical aspects and the enforcement of digital rights in smart city initiatives also pose global challenges.

Reference:

Global Review of Smart City Governance Practices: Technical Report by UN Habitat

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