RETHINKING SMART CITIES ICT for New-type Urbanization and Public Participation at the City and Community Level in China © 2015 United Nations Development Programme China 2 Liangmahe Nanlu Beijing 100600, P.R. China Telephone: +86-10 8532-0800 Internet: www.cn.undp.org Authors of the report: James Kin-Sing Chan Programme Coordinator (Governance & Urbanization), Poverty Equity and Governance Team, UNDP China. Email: [email protected] Samantha Anderson Senior Advisor on Sustainable Cities and Climate Change, Climate Change Team, UNDP China. Email: [email protected] Cover design: Lucy Huang The analyses and recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the United Nations, including UNDP, or the UN Member States. CONTENTS FOREWORDS 01 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 04 INTRODUCTION 05 PART I BACKGROUND AND POLICY OVERVIEW 07 OVERVIEW OF CHINESE POLICIES ON SMART CITIES 07 IN TRANSITION: FROM TECHCENTRED TO HUMANCENTRED 09 LONG ROAD AHEAD: THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN CHINA 10 PART II CASE STUDIES OF CITY AND COMMUNITY ICT INITIATIVES FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 13 1. FEEDBACK MECHANISMS FOR INCREASING CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT AND GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY 13 2. MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND RESPONSIVENESS OF PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY 14 USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO IMPROVE RESPONSIVENESS OF SOCIAL SERVICES 15 USING SMART INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION 16 3. INFORMATION ACCESS INITIATIVES TO HELP CITIZENS MAKE BETTER MARKET AND LIFE CHOICES 17 4. PLATFORMS FOR COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBOURHOODBUILDING 18 PART III ANALYSIS AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS 19 1. FORMULATE A CLEAR VISION AND STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SMART CITY DEVELOPMENT 19 2. CONDUCT ASSESSMENT TO TRULY UNDERSTAND PEOPLE’S NEEDS AND PROBLEMS 20 3. GRADUALLY INTRODUCE CHANGES, USING PROTOTYPES, TO GAIN BUYIN FROM DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS 20 4. ESTABLISH COORDINATION MECHANISMS AMONG DIFFERENT MINISTRIES AND AGENCIES 21 5. ENSURE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF ICT INITIATIVES BY ALLOCATING BUDGETS FOR SYSTEM MAINTENANCE 22 6. USE OPEN DATA AND OPEN PLATFORMS TO CROWDSOURCE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE, PROMOTE INNOVATION AND REDUCE COSTS 23 7. INVEST IN DIGITAL LITERACY PROGRAMMES FOR BOTH CITIZENS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS 23 8. PROTECT PEOPLE’S PRIVACY AND ENHANCE CYBER SECURITY TO BUILD TRUST 24 CONCLUSION: MAKING SMART CITIES MORE PARTICIPATORY AND INCLUSIVE 25 NOTES AND REFERENCES 27 BIBLIOGRAPHY 31 ANNEX I: LIST OF INTERVIEWEES 35 ANNEX II: 10 CASE STUDIES 36 CASE 1: “I LOVE BEIJING” CITY ADMINISTRATION PUBLIC SERVICE MAP AND MOBILE APP BEIJING 36 CASE 2: BEIJING COMMUNITY SERVICE HOTLINE 96156 BEIJING 37 CASE 3: SMART TUANJIE LAKE SMART CITY INITIATIVE BEIJING 37 CASE 4: HAIDIAN DISTRICT SMART CITY INITIATIVE BEIJING 38 CASE 5: SHENZHEN DIGITAL VOLUNTEER CERTIFICATE SYSTEM SHENZHEN 39 CASE 6: THE STAR RENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM GUANGZHOU, GUANGDONG 40 CASE 7: THE MICROBLOG SERVICE HALL CHENGDU, SICHUAN 40 CASE 8: THE SHUIJINGFANG SERVICE APP CHENGDU, SICHUAN 41 CASE 9: NINGBO COMMUNITY SERVICE HOTLINE 81890 NINGBO, ZHEJIANG 41 CASE 10: ‘BINZHOUCHINA’ GOVERNMENT ONLINE INTERVIEW PLATFORM BINZHOU, SHANDONG 42 FOREWORDS FOREWORD Urbanization is one of the most complex and public in and leverage bottom-up innovation pressing development challenges facing China for these ICT initiatives. Tapping into collective in the coming decades. More than half of the knowledge and supporting the capacities of Chinese population currently lives in cities, people who will call cities home will help ensure and the percentage is projected to increase to solutions that respond directly to their needs. 76 percent by 2050.1 Nearly 300 million more people will migrate from rural to urban areas The central government has sowed the seeds in the next 35 years. We have seen signi cant for promoting bottom-up ICT and innovative challenges emerge as a result of urbanization, initiatives in China. Premier Li Keqiang such as land expropriation con icts, ine cient recently has made public calls for “mass urban sprawl, severe pollution, and inequalities entrepreneurship and innovation” and the State induced by the hukou2 system, and these will Council’s National New-type Urbanization Plan only increase with rising urban populations. (2014-2020) emphasizes the key principles of Therefore, systematic governance reforms – “human-centred and equitable development” in such as the recommendations suggested by urbanization, which encourages self-adjustment UNDP’s National Human Development Report and self-governance within society and public 2013 on sustainable and liveable cities – are participation for signi cant urban decisions. needed for the country to deal with these issues These top-level policies take time to be adopted and challenges. and implemented by every local government, yet there are some early adopters at the city At the same time, people and governments and community level that have already started are increasingly turning to technology for new to pilot some ICT for public participation solutions to address these urban challenges. initiatives to better inform citizens, provide Multiple government documents have been more responsive social services, improve issued in China on this subject – known as the government’s accountability and build a more Internet Plus Strategies for urbanization or, in connected community. general, smart city plans. However, many smart city projects have mainly focused on technology By looking at how ICTs are used to enhance infrastructure, the hardware of the city. In order public participation on the ground in rapidly to address rapidly changing urban challenges, urbanizing China, and providing corresponding however, strategies and plans need to address policy recommendations, we hope this paper challenges beyond infrastructure. To ensure can be the very rst step to encourage local inclusive urbanization, it is crucial to engage the governments torethink smart city approaches 01 and thus promote public participation and has just announced an investment in 100 smart citizen engagement through ICT initiatives. We cities – to better address challenges brought hope this paper can alsobe a good reference for about by urbanization. other emerging economies – like India which RETHINKING SMART CITIES Agi Veres Country Director United Nations Development Programme China – ICT for New-type Urbanization and Public Participation at the City and Community Level in China 02 FOREWORDS FOREWORD At Intel, corporate social responsibility is not down the boundaries between technology only about what we do, but what we can make innovation and social innovation for collective possible. impact. Many of the prevailing social and environmental With this vision in mind, in 2012 Intel China challenges today result from rapid economic incubated an independent not-for-pro t growth, well beyond the grasp of individual organisation, Cinnovate, with the support organizations. For this reason it is imperative of the Chinese government to champion that we bring together the best minds around social innovation by catalysing cross-sector the world to learn, explore and co-create collaboration among government, citizens, solutions that tap into the potential in grassroots businesses and the academic community. innovation and building on this, to bring the enterprising spirit, intellectual rigor and We are delighted to work with UNDP China discipline of the business world into a societal on Rethinking Smart Cities – ICT for New-type context in the name of social innovation. Urbanization and Public Participation at the City and Community Level in China, and hope it We believe in the power of corporate social will stimulate thinking and actions from cities innovation whereby leading organizations, with around the world in how to unleash technology their global footprint and touch points, can and social innovation to make cities smarter, leverage their core capabilities to make a big more inclusive, sustainable and human-centred. di erence. We believe that we have to break CY Yeung Director, Corporate Responsibility, Intel China Vice Chair of Board, Cinnovate 03 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research is a collaborative e ort under He Jianwu (Haidian District Government, the urbanization and social innovation work Beijing), C.Y. Yeung, Henry Gui Hao (Intel), between UNDP China and Intel. This research Yang Haiping (IYouShe), Tom Saunders (Nesta), bene ted enormously from experts and Xu Yiping (Ningbo Bureau of Civil A airs), Li practitioners who gave interviews and provided Yuanyuan, Peng Chun (Peking University), their invaluable insight and comments to Gao Kun (Shenzhen Municipal Volunteer Work the two authors. A special thanks goes to – in Federation), Song Qinghua, Zhao Xu (Shining alphabetical order by institution name – Song Stone Community Action), Dan Yi (Shuijingfang Gang (Beijing City Administration Science and Sub-district Government, Jinjiang District, Technology Information Center), Mei Zhenpeng Chengdu), Zhang Nan (Tsinghua University), Li (Binzhou Municipal Government), Wu Xiaomin Rongzhen (Tuanjiehu Sub-district Government, (China Center for Urban Development), Meng Chaoyang District, Beijing) and Minerva Rongqi, Yang Limei (Community Service Center Novero, Zheng Yuan (UNDP). The analyses and of Beijing Municipal Government), Thomas Hart recommendations expressed in this publication (EU-China Policy Dialogues Support Facility II), do not necessarily represent those of the Pu Lin, Zhong Wen (Government A airs Service interviewees.