Discrepancies in perceptions of smart city initiatives in Saint Petersburg, Russia

• Published in: Sustainable cities and society Vol. 59; p. 102158
• Main Authors: Vidiasova, Lyudmila, Cronemberger, Felippe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2020
• Subjects: E-government; Government intelligence; Local government; Public perception; Smart cities; Government intelligence; Smart cities; Local government; Public perception; E-government
• ISSN: 2210-6707; 2210-6715
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2020.102158

•Empirical studies on the perspective of citizens on smart city development still scarce compared to theoretical and technology-driven research.•There seems to be a gap in the way citizens and sponsors – authorities, in particular – understand smart city endeavors.•The gap may compromise levels of participation in smart city initiatives despite high levels of engagement with e-government technologies.•Cities with a smart city agenda need to acknowledge such gap and communicate both the nature and the justification for smart city development. As a multidimensional topic, smart cities continue to attract interest from practitioners and academics across a variety of disciplines. Whilst much theorizing and conceptualization have made concrete advancements in establishing the research agenda for this topic, case-based research on citizens’ perceptions of smart city initiatives is still scarce. Through examination of surveys and content analysis of plans and documents exploring smart city development in Saint Petersburg, this paper looks at differences between perceptions of authorities and citizens in local government initiatives towards smart city development in the referred city. Results suggest that there seems to be a gap in the way citizens and sponsors – authorities, in particular – understand smart city endeavors. In St. Petersburg, Russia, the gap compromises levels of participation and engagement in smart city initiatives despite high levels of engagement with traditional e-government technologies. Such circumstances may reflect an expectation-results divide that has been described in collaborative e-government literature, but is yet to receive empirical scrutiny in the context of smart city development. The paper ends by critically examining risks of ignoring perceptions from different stakeholders and not monitoring gaps such as the one examined in this practical case.