Public-private partnerships in smart cities: A critical survey and research agenda

Abstract

Urbanization is recognized as one of the megatrends of our society, leading to substantial efforts to create effective and smart cities. The scale of this effort is unsuitable for a single player, instead necessitating joint efforts from multiple stakeholders. The global expansion of smart cities has subsequently led to increased research efforts toward building effective smart cities. In theory and practice, collaboration is pivotal for effective urban development, most often seen through the establishment of public-private partnership (PPP). Past research has explored these partnerships in smart city projects. Although PPP is considered to be an effective means to facilitate smart city development, the concept of smart cities remains rather vague and ideological. PPP for smart cities has been substantiated in several case studies; however, a thorough review is lacking. Therefore, to synthesize the existing literature, we carried out an in-depth integrative literature review. From this basis, we executed a content analysis and four key themes emerged: localness, stakeholder complexity, tension, and trust-building. These four themes form the basis of our proposed model and describe the key elements influencing PPP formation in smart city projects. We argue that the partnerships involved in smart city projects need further refinement to allow for transparency and involvement in various contexts. This paper provides timely contributions to smart city research by synthesizing the extant literature as well as laying the foundation for a future research agenda. Critical perspectives are also offered for future practitioners.