Exploring the road to smart governance - A multiple case study of institutional change within Dutch smart governance projects

Abstract

One of the core characteristics of the smart city discourse is smart governance, which allows for increased citizen participation by the use of ICTs. Smart governance is expected to cope with the increased complexities and challenges of today’s cities, however, little scientific research focused on how to implement smart governance in the existing governance structures. The aim of this research is to understand the processes of institutional change of smart governance. A multiple case study was executed to explore how existing institutions allow for different types of smart governance and what agency in the form of institutional work is executed to institutionalize smart governance in these existing institutions. The three cases studies each aspired a different form of citizen participation facilitated by ICTs. The findings of the research contribute to a better understanding of how Dutch governance structures allow for smart governance and aim to understand strategies to implement smart governance. The findings indicate that the incongruence of existing institutions with smart governance differs among smart governance types and this difference with existing institutions influences the types and forms of institutional work. For smart governance types that aspire more decisive power for citizens, the institutional work requires more disruptive institutional work.