Smart Governance and Policy

Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Public Administration, Inha University, Incheon 22188, Republic of Korea
2. President, Korea Global Association for Smart Governance & Policy (GASGP), Republic of Korea
Interests: smart cities; smart governance; digital divide; smart city building in developing countries; international cooperation for smart cities, government innovation and project management; information technology and communication policy; research methodology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
School of Public Affairs, Pennsylvania State University Harrisburg, Middletown, NJ 17057, USA
Interests: digital governance; public and performance management; performance measurement; public entrepreneurship; citizen participation; smart cities; information technology policy; data policy; research methodology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Public Policy and Public Affairs, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
Interests: electronic government; smart cities; AI in the public sector; technology innovations; social media; public management; public administration education; quantitative and qualitative research methodology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Public Administration, Inha University, Incheon 22188, Republic of Korea
Interests: future government; AI in the public sector; government innovation; governance; citizen participation; local government administration; public budgeting and finance; quantitative and qualitative research methodology

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Guest Editor
1. Department of Public Administration, Inha University, Incheon 22188, Republic of Korea
2. Officer, Korea-Asia Society for Smart Governance and Policy (KASSGP, TBD), Republic of Korea
Interests: smart governance and policy; public budgeting and finance; public sector financial management; international cooperation for smart cities; government innovation and project management; state and local government management; public enterprises; research methodology

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

The digital revolution has transformed how governments in smart cities operate and interact with their citizens. The next-generation smart governance, characterized by the integration of advanced information technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and big data analytics, promises to enhance transparency, efficiency, and accountability. The term “smart” is interchangeable with a wide range of concepts, including virtual, intelligent, digital, or ubiquitous, underlining the comprehensive application of smart and convergent technologies in addressing urban and citizen-centric issues. While physical infrastructure and technological convergence have been at the forefront of smart city initiatives, an examination of how these developments align with broader government objectives and goals in terms of management, organization, governance, policy, technology, and environmental sustainability remains essential.

Governance and policy capacity building have become important issues across various government sectors, including education, health, security, transportation, and public finance. Effective policy interventions are increasingly reliant on interconnected networks, both nationally and globally, necessitating appropriate information and communication technologies and human networking for efficient administration. Implementing smart governance is challenging due to bureaucratic inertia, a resistance to change, and the demands for new competencies and resources. Therefore, a thorough investigation of the evolution of organizational structures, leadership dynamics, fiscal management, human resource management, and measurement and evaluation frameworks is crucial to deepen our understanding.

As a part of international collaboration, this Special Issue highlights the development of theoretical frameworks and relevant case studies in smart governance and policy capacity building. It aims to strengthen effective collaboration and networking among developing and developed countries, engaging government officials and experts at various levels.

This Special Issue seeks to present analytical, descriptive, and explanatory research that broadens the strategic and operational practices for smart governance development. It aims to bridge the existing knowledge and practice gaps in the multidisciplinary area of smart cities, focusing on policy initiatives, case studies, empirical research, and new perspectives that apply innovative and sustainable strategies for advancing smart cities across national, comparative, and international contexts.

Prof. Dr. Seunghwan Myeong
Dr. Younhee Kim
Dr. Michael Ahn
Dr. Jinsol Park
Prof. Dr. Changhoon Jung
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Smart Cities is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • best practices in smart city development
  • comprehensive models for technological empowerment and human collaboration
  • convergence technology applications for smart governance
  • government reform for smart governance in developing countries
  • artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, blockchain, sensors, clouds, and mobile networks for smart cities
  • new-deal policy initiatives for smart cities
  • embracing the usability and security of big data in operating smart cities
  • smart administration and management innovation in smart city governance
  • international partnerships among smart city communities
  • visible strategies and approaches for smart cities
  • human-oriented and nontechnological dimensions of smart cities
  • smart online education and training methods and technologies
  • interdisciplinary perspectives and theories of smart cities and smart governance

Published Papers (2 papers)

2025

18 pages, 3269 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Traffic Prediction Using Deep Learning Long Short-Term Memory
by Ange-Lionel Toba, Sameer Kulkarni, Wael Khallouli and Timothy Pennington
Smart Cities 2025, 8(4), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities8040126 - 29 Jul 2025
Viewed by 385
Abstract
Traffic conditions are a key factor in our society, contributing to quality of life and the economy, as well as access to professional, educational, and health resources. This emphasizes the need for a reliable road network to facilitate traffic fluidity across the nation [...] Read more.
Traffic conditions are a key factor in our society, contributing to quality of life and the economy, as well as access to professional, educational, and health resources. This emphasizes the need for a reliable road network to facilitate traffic fluidity across the nation and improve mobility. Reaching these characteristics demands good traffic volume prediction methods, not only in the short term but also in the long term, which helps design transportation strategies and road planning. However, most of the research has focused on short-term prediction, applied mostly to short-trip distances, while effective long-term forecasting, which has become a challenging issue in recent years, is lacking. The team proposes a traffic prediction method that leverages K-means clustering, long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network, and Fourier transform (FT) for long-term traffic prediction. The proposed method was evaluated on a real-world dataset from the U.S. Travel Monitoring Analysis System (TMAS) database, which enhances practical relevance and potential impact on transportation planning and management. The forecasting performance is evaluated with real-world traffic flow data in the state of California, in the western USA. Results show good forecasting accuracy on traffic trends and counts over a one-year period, capturing periodicity and variation. Full article
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50 pages, 1773 KiB  
Review
Understanding Smart Governance of Sustainable Cities: A Review and Multidimensional Framework
by Abdulaziz I. Almulhim and Tan Yigitcanlar
Smart Cities 2025, 8(4), 113; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities8040113 - 8 Jul 2025
Viewed by 764
Abstract
Smart governance—the integration of digital technologies into urban governance—is increasingly recognized as a transformative approach to addressing complex urban challenges such as rapid urbanization, climate change, social inequality, and resource constraints. As a foundational pillar of the smart city paradigm, it enhances decision-making, [...] Read more.
Smart governance—the integration of digital technologies into urban governance—is increasingly recognized as a transformative approach to addressing complex urban challenges such as rapid urbanization, climate change, social inequality, and resource constraints. As a foundational pillar of the smart city paradigm, it enhances decision-making, service delivery, transparency, and civic participation through data-driven tools, digital platforms, and emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, and blockchain. While often positioned as a pathway toward sustainability and inclusivity, existing research on smart governance remains fragmented, particularly regarding its relationship to urban sustainability. This study addresses that gap through a systematic literature review using the PRISMA methodology, synthesizing theoretical models, empirical findings, and diverse case studies. It identifies key enablers—such as digital infrastructure, data governance, citizen engagement, and institutional capacity—and highlights enduring challenges including digital inequity, data security concerns, and institutional inertia. In response to this, the study proposes a multidimensional framework that integrates governance, technology, and sustainability, offering a holistic lens through which to understand and guide urban transformation. This framework underscores the importance of balancing technological innovation with equity, resilience, and inclusivity, providing actionable insights for policymakers and planners navigating the complexities of smart cities and urban development. By aligning smart governance practices with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDG)—particularly SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities—the study offers a strategic roadmap for fostering resilient, equitable, and digitally empowered urban futures. Full article
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Figure 1

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