Smart city governance in small municipalities: A case study of Bolzano urban area (Italy)

Details

Supervisors

Desmet, Carlos

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate smart city governance in small municipalities, using the city of Bolzano, Italy, as a case study. Smart city governance in small urban areas represents a considerable research gap which this study aims to address. We aim to understand Bolzano’s case more in depth by using publicly available information, as well as the results from a baseline survey conducted with Bolzano’s citizens and interviewing both local and international relevant players in the European smart city domain. This will not only allow us to provide the city administration with clear and actionable recommendations on how to embark the smart city journey but shall also inspire other small municipalities that might encounter similar challenges to our case. Analysing Bolzano’s governance from two perspectives, the readiness of the city and the readiness of the citizens, it appears that the city is readier for the smart city transition than its citizens. Nevertheless, we find that this misalignment is also caused by the city’s inability to effectively inform, communicate with and include its citizens. Overall, there are four pain points that Bolzano will need to focus on to improve its governance and as a result quality of life in the city: strategy and leadership, digital infrastructure, co-creation and communication and branding.