| Title | Public Trust and Political Legitimacy in the Smart City: A Reckoning for Technocracy |
|---|---|
| ID_Doc | 38377 |
| Authors | Hartley, K |
| Title | Public Trust and Political Legitimacy in the Smart City: A Reckoning for Technocracy |
| Year | 2021 |
| Published | Science Technology & Human Values, 46, 6 |
| Abstract | The 2020 introduction by China's central government of a national security law (NSL) in Hong Kong marked a watershed moment in the social and political history of the semiautonomous city. The law emerged after months of street protests that reflected declining public trust in Hong Kong's government. Against this turbulent backdrop, Hong Kong's policy projects moved forward, including smart city development. This article explores public trust in and political legitimacy of Hong Kong's smart cities endeavors in the period leading up to the introduction of the NSL. At a theoretical level, the smart cities phenomenon invites critical reflection about tensions between technocracy and democracy, but this topic remains largely unexploited by empirical literature. Using survey data from 1,017 residents, this study identifies confidence in the benefits of smart cities but lesser trust in privacy and security and lesser satisfaction with participation opportunities in related policymaking. Probing these dynamics, the study finds that trust in smart city mechanics and governance associate positively with support for smart cities, controlling for ideology and issue awareness. Illuminating a theoretical and practical puzzle, these findings contribute empirically to discussions about the political legitimacy of scientific, technological, and technocratic undertakings in the public sector. |
Similar Articles
| ID | Score | Article |
|---|---|---|
44961
|
Cole, A; Tran, É Trust and the Smart City: The Hong Kong Paradox(2022) | |
| 38442
|
Hartley, K; Aldag, A Public trust and support for government technology: Survey insights about Singapore's smart city policies(2024) | |
| 43088
|
Hartley, K Public Perceptions About Smart Cities: Governance and Quality-of-Life in Hong Kong(2023)Social Indicators Research, 166, 3 | |
| 36680
|
Lai, CMT; Cole, A International Perception and Local Pride in Smart City Development: The Case of Hong Kong(2024) | |
| 36092
|
Leung, KYK; Lee, HY Implementing the smart city: who has a say? Some insights from Hong Kong(2023) | |
| 79104
|
Kong, L; Woods, O The ideological alignment of smart urbanism in Singapore: Critical reflections on a political paradox(2018)Urban Studies, 55, 4 | |
| 36359
|
Akbari, A Authoritarian Smart City: A Research Agenda(2022)Surveillance & Society, 20, 4 | |
| 45629
|
Chang, ICC; Jou, SC; Chung, MK Provincialising smart urbanism in Taipei: The smart city as a strategy for urban regime transition(2021)Urban Studies, 58, 3 | |
| 78800
|
Jiang, HX; Geertman, S; Witte, P Comparing Smart Governance Projects in China: A Contextual Approach(2019) | |
| 36524
|
Nathansohn, R; Lahat, L From urban vitality to urban vitalisation: Trust, distrust, and citizenship regimes in a Smart City initiative(2022) |