Is This a Good Idea? A Case Study on Civil Perception of Smart City Projects

The purpose of this research is to pursue a better understanding of citizens' needs in a fast-changing medium-sized town transitioning to a smart city. The investigation focuses on the citizens' perceptions of smart city projects, the use intensity of said projects, and further examines what other factors play a part in shaping a citizen's opinion on smart city initiatives concerning their hometown. It was discovered that the majority of citizens perceive smart city projects positively, even though the projects are rarely used. Their behaviour and opinion were not related to their age, gender, and education in contrast to claims from previous research. Citizens had positive perception of the city's offer to involve them in urban planning, but otherwise refrain from actively getting involved. This was mostly due to the fact that they either did not feel the need to do so or were not confident enough in their contribution. Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology | Oct. 29 – Nov. 1, 2022 | Pittsburgh, PA. Author(s) retain copyright, but ASIS&T receives an exclusive publication license.