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Olga Welinder. Photo

Olga Welinder

Postdoctoral fellow

Olga Welinder. Photo

Visualising and calculating the smart city : a dialogue perspective

Author

  • Olga Trunova
  • Igor Khodachek
  • Aleksandr Khodachek

Summary, in English

Purpose: This study addresses the implications of smart city development paths (techno-centric and human-centric) by investigating the evolution of a city strategy, focusing on how different actors in a dialogue centred on strategic planning documents for Saint Petersburg, Russia, visualised the smart city and then made it calculable. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted a case study based on a documentary analysis supported by ethnographic elements relying on the smart city conceptual proposals, the approved city strategy and the artifacts of expert discussions leading to the strategy implementation plan. Findings: Through the lens of dialogue theory, the authors show how government and non-government actors in different organisational settings devised techno-centric smart city calculations, which arose despite an initial human-centric vision. Research limitations/implications: While the case study allowed the study to illustrate the depth and richness of the context of the authoritarian Russian state where the role of citizens in public decision-making is rather limited, different and even contrasting results could be produced in other contexts. Practical implications: There is a gap between a smart city vision and its grounding in calculations. Thus, the human-centric elements require special attention, and the organisation of the dialogue on smart city strategy must enable plurality of voices besides those of government actors. Originality/value: The case suggests viewing the human-centric and techno-centric perspectives not as dichotomous, but rather emerging consecutively throughout the journey from an initial strategic vision to its implementation in the city's calculations.

Publishing year

2022-11-01

Language

English

Pages

644-664

Publication/Series

Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management

Volume

34

Issue

5

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Topic

  • Business Administration

Keywords

  • Dialogue
  • Russia
  • Saint Petersburg
  • Smart city
  • Visualising and calculating

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1096-3367