具有公共价值的智慧城市

This study was authored by:Fadi Salem, Research Fellow, Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government.To contact the authors please direct emails to: fadi.salem@mbrsg.ac.aeThe views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect thoseof the trustees, officers and other staff of the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government(MBRSG), nor those of Smart Dubai Office and its associated entities and initiatives.A suggested citation of this study:Salem, F. (2016). A Smart City for Public Value: Digital Transformation through Agile Governance – The Case of “Smart Dubai”.Dubai: Governance and Innovation Program, Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, World Government Summit. of370 Executive SummaryWhat makes a city “smart” in the digital age? How can a complex urban fabric developintelligencethat drives planning,decision-making and positively affects the lives of itspopulation? What ingredients—be they organizational, technological, cultural or regulatory—enable a metropolis to re-invent itsmodus operandiand achieve sustained developmentalstrides? In short, how can a local government build a “smart city” and generate public value?In exploring these questions, this study provides an in-depth analysis of the criticalfirst phaseof Dubai’s mega-transformation into a smart city. Dubai’s stated objective in building the smartcity is to improve the quality of life and raise the levels of public “happiness”. Its vision is notjust to be the “smartest” city in the world by 2017, but also to be one of the “happiest” placeson earth to live and work. Achieving these two ambitious goalsrequires addressing numerousorganizational,technological,cultural and policy challenges.This study analyzes thesechallenges as well as the milestones reached, through tracing the paths taken by differentstakeholders and documenting the multifaceted lessons learned. Thefindings provide ampleevidencesuggesting that the technological infrastructure,regulatory frameworks andorganizational structures are now in place as critical foundations for building the smart city.More importantly, indicators suggest that public value is being generated throughout theevolution of the project, which is potentially improving the quality of government. Thefirstphase of the Smart Dubai’s journey has already triggered important cross-government culturaltransformations. The government’s agility and its entrepreneurial approach enabled it tobridge entrenched silos, infuse a culture of openness and transparency, in addition to fosteringa collaborative governance style. This mode of governance also created a shift in collectivethinking across the government; in particular from its traditional sectoral view into a city-wideview, with people’s wellbeing and “happiness” at the center. Reflecting on the lessons learnedfrom Smart Dubai’s digital transformation will be critical for the next phase of its development.Moreover, studying the policy challenges, the barriers and the enabling factors in the city’stransformational journey provides timely insight to support wider regional urban developmentinitiatives.Beyond the region,the experiences of“Smart Dubai”in digital-era urbandevelopment, and the way it manages—and measures—the accompanying socio-technicalimpact at a city level, also provide valuable policy learning opportunities at a global level. Atthis stage, the question then becomes: Had Dubai achieved its vision of becoming thesmartest city in the world by 2017; going forward, what does the city need to do to maintainthat status and ensure it remains one of the “happiest” cities to live and work? This question isexplored here based on the richfindings of the study. of470 IntroductionWhen it comes to large-scale digital transformations, Dubai has been the regional risk-taker.For almost two decades, the city proved to be a trendsetter in terms of embracing digitaltechnology.This included adopting cutting-edge digital governance approaches,utilizinginformationand communication technologies for development,adjusting policies andregulations to adapt to rapid societal changes and technological advancements, providingenabling infrastructures for internet businesses, and creating a hub for a knowledge economythat extends to the wider region. This time around, Dubai’s new ambitious endeavor is tocreate the “smartest” city and one of the “happiest” cities in the world by 2017. The city isplanning to expand its utilization of advanced digital means for sustained development,growth,better governance and public wellbeing.To achieve this goal within a fast-approachingdeadline,the government needed major coordination efforts and agility.Moreover, the teams managing this urban transformation needed to create a cultural shift inhow the government operates and infuse a practice of collaborative governance. Givenprevious experiences in major digital transformations on local and global levels, it is clear thatthis is no easy task. However, the study suggests t