The guidelines for developing the smart cities of local government organizations in Nakhon Sawan province

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) Study the level of smart city development and the factors influencing the development of smart cities. 2) Explore the problems and obstacles in smart city development. 3) Identify guidelines for smart city development by local administrative organizations in Nakhon Sawan Province. This study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative research. The quantitative data was collected from a sample of 103 local administrative organizations using a questionnaire, and the data was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. For the qualitative part, five key informants were interviewed using semi-structured interviews, and the data was analyzed through inductive content analysis.
The results revealed that: The level of smart city development was moderate (X̅ = 2.51, S.D. = 0.83). The factors influencing the development of smart cities were at a high level (X̅ = 3.84, S.D. = 0.97). All five factors had factor loadings ranging from 0.67 to 0.88, with explained variances between 45% and 77%. All factors were statistically significant at the 0.01 level.
Problems and obstacles in the development of smart cities by local administrative organizations in Nakhon Sawan Province were identified as follows: 1) Citizen needs and demands misunderstandings, mismatched expectations, and a lack of preparedness for an aging society. 2) Infrastructure limitations in existing infrastructure, budget delays, regulatory obstacles, and disparities between urban and rural areas. 3) Data and technology management lack of personnel knowledge about smart cities, complex online systems, and negative attitudes toward technology. 4) Policy and governance regulatory constraints and a lack of continuity in implementation. 5) Collaborative networking – slow inter-agency coordination and lack of cooperation from community leaders and the public.
Guidelines for smart city development by local administrative organizations in Nakhon Sawan Province included: 1) Public demand promote public participation through training, public hearings, technology trials, feedback integration, elder-friendly infrastructure, and lifelong learning. 2) Infrastructure focus on public-private partnerships, online education development, and smart agriculture. 3) Data and technology management support staff training, mentorship programs, user testing, and the use of open-source software. 4) Policy and governance revise laws to accommodate digital technology, support localized regulations, and establish long-term smart city policies. 5) Collaborative networks create cooperation frameworks, organize multi-stakeholder meetings, develop urban issue-reporting platforms, support small-scale community projects, digital volunteer networks, and private sector participation.