According to the Global Urbanization Prospects Report published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), about 2050% of the population will live in cities by 70. In Korea, too, the concentration of population and jobs in the metropolitan area has resulted in severe regional imbalances, and the number of regional cities facing extinction is increasing.
This imbalance has recently led to regional digital disparities in the flow of digital transformation, and the regional disparities are intensifying. Smart city policies promoted by government-supported projects achieved quantitative expansion, but only 50% of the 137 cities and counties with a population of less than 19 were supported. It showed a tendency to be concentrated in metropolitan cities. A smart city refers to a city created to solve inefficiencies such as urban traffic, environment, and housing problems by using advanced information and communication technology (ICT).
According to the recently published 'Smart City Index Report 2022', global leading cities are promoting various policies for urban digital transformation, enhancing regional balanced development and strengthening the competitiveness of each region. In particular, efforts are being made to bridge regional disparities by implementing an inclusive digital society through smart cities so that there are no digitally marginalized classes in the new normal era. Through the Citizen Participation Living Lab, we are actively responding to various urban problems by strengthening the city's digital capabilities and laying the foundation for participation, communication, and cooperation.
Recently, in Korea, not only population decline, but also carbon emission and climate change crisis have become new factors that threaten the existence of small and medium-sized cities. This means that it seems difficult to bridge regional disparities with traditional urban management methods. In order for small and medium-sized cities to overcome poor conditions and to develop evenly across various sectors from local productivity to quality of life, specialized smart cities for each region must be created. This is why it is necessary to expand the smart city growth model centered on the private sector and balanced regional development beyond the government-led simple smart technology dissemination.
The current government is trying to implement a digital government where the people, businesses, and the government can solve problems in the local community and create new values through a 'digital platform'. Therefore, smart city becomes a key means as a catalyst for realizing a data-based city operating system and revitalizing the data economy. If the government's plans are followed, it is expected that a sustainable innovation ecosystem will be created by attracting new industries and creating private services.
Small and medium-sized cities in Nordic Finland are operating an 'Agile Piloting' program that can rapidly spread by demonstrating the future smart city model in the center of the Urban Tech district with private, corporate, school, and public institutions. Through this, we succeeded in creating a self-sustaining ecosystem in the city. In addition, it is becoming a model for small and strong smart cities by establishing a governance system at the city government level to conclude various cooperative partnerships with overseas cities. It is hoped that technological innovation will lead to innovation in everyday life, so that small and medium-sized cities in Korea can develop into smart cities that can embrace all citizens, taking one step further toward balanced regional development.
Jeonghoon Lee Professor, Graduate School of Information, Yonsei University
☞ 출Source: Dong-A Ilbo Economics