Abstract
The term "smart city" has been strongly promoted since the late 1990s, yet its concrete meaning remains blurry. In this article, we shed light on two elements that many “smart cities” claim to pursue: open data and collaborative/participatory governance. Notably, we investigate whether smart city models that are based on an open data approach constitute a suitable environment for collaborative governance processes. Therefore, we introduce a comprehensive model of collaborative governance which allows us to derive theoretical assumptions regarding the influence of open data on collaborative processes in a smart city context. Based on a case study model, we try to find empirical evidence for our assumptions in three cities. However, only minor evidence for an existing influence can be found, which we explain with insufficient understanding about the potentials of open data and therefore lacking strategies how to use them for fostering collaborative processes.
Highlights
The idea of “smart city” has been strongly promoted over the past decades
We look at smart city governance with the aim to investigate mutual effects between open government data and collaborative governance processes
We propose that there are especially three elements where collaborative governance can benefit from open government data: overcoming knowledge asymmetries, facilitating joint fact finding and enabling trust building
Summary
The idea of “smart city” has been strongly promoted over the past decades. Especially in Europe, and in the U.S, several cities have been labelled “smart” and compete in global and regional smart city rankings every year. There are common elements in most definitions though, such as the reference to open (government) data and collaborative/participatory governance as crucial elements of smart cities, the general notion being that governments interact with citizens in a more open and transparent way as well as increasing possibilities for participation and collaboration. The exact relation between the three terms – smart city, open government data and collaborative governance – is blurry in many ways, and it remains unclear how they interact with and enhance one another. Interpreting and exploring this framework in the context of smart cities and open data, we identify three concrete areas where open government data might help to promote collaborative governance in smart cities: to overcome knowledge asymmetries, to facilitate joint fact finding and to enable trust building.
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