Rethinking the Strategic Dimensions of Smart Cities in China’s Industrial Park Developments: the Experience of Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, China

摘要

Although smart cities have been widely recognised as a new tool to transform the industrial parks in China, planners have faced the complex challenge of how to translate the concept of smart cities into reality. While great emphasis has been put on the applicability of information and communication technologies (ICT) to smart city projects, there has been little analysis or evaluation in such planning process of smart cities. This is mainly because smart cities employ rather unclear definition and work scope. This research draws attention to the ‘strategic dimensions’ of smart cities in planning practice, which need to be considered in the transformation of industrial parks in China. The research uses a case study of smart city development in Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), Suzhou, China, which is widely acknowledged as one of the successful industrial park developments in China. SIP is in transition, and accommodating manufacturing industries is no longer the primary function of SIP. The research found that it is necessary to redirect the smart city strategy of SIP by mirroring the needs of the workers and local residents in SIP. It requires a transformation of traditional compartmentalised planning practices and the engagement of a wider range of players including those who were not previously involved in traditional practice.