Human-centric vs. technology-centric approaches in a top-down smart city development regime: Evidence from 341 Chinese cities

《Human-centric vs. technology-centric approaches in a top-down smart city development regime: Evidence from 341 Chinese cities》

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作者单位: Department of Public and International Affairs, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong;Department of Public and International Affairs, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong;The University of Texas at San Antonio, USA;Department of Public and International Affairs, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong;Department of Public and International Affairs, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong;The University of Texas at San Antonio, USA;Hang Lung Center for Real Estate, Department of Construction Management, Tsinghua University, China;School of Economics, Peking University, 5 Summer Palace Road Street, Beijing 100871, China;School of Public Policy & Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;School of Public Policy & Administration, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China;Rovira i Virgili University, Department of Geography, C/J. Martorell 15, 43480 Vila-seca, Spain;Erasmus University Rotterdam, Centre for Urban, Port and Transport Economics, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA Rotterdam, the Netherlands;School of Urban Planning and Design, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, China;Social Laboratory of Urban Spatial Governance and Policy Simulation, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, China;Center for Chinese Public Administration Research, School of Government, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China;Department of Management, Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

摘要: With smart city (SMC) initiatives proliferating worldwide since the 2000s, the theoretical debates around SMC development have evolved from a technology-centric approach to a more human-centric approach. Investing in human capital and improving quality of life have become the major elements of SMC rhetoric. However, few studies have examined the approaches adopted in real-world SMC policymaking or why different cities follow different approaches. We statistically examine the factors behind the human-centricity of SMC policies through a text analysis of policy documents from 341 Chinese prefectural cities published between 2009 and 2020. We find divergent approaches to SMC development across these Chinese prefectural cities. Unexpectedly, the more economically developed and dense cities tend to be more technology-centric in SMC policymaking. Cities at the initial and advanced stages of SMC development also prefer a technology-centric approach, albeit with very different underlying mechanisms. These findings suggest the need for a greater prioritization of human capital in SMC creation in developed cities and for context-specific interpretations of technology-centricity for cities at different SMC development stages.