GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING URBAN HOUSING PROJECTS WITH A SMART CITY APPROACH

Abstract

The migration of population from rural to urban causes rapid urban expansion and housing demand. Smart cities are utilized as guidelines for the development of urban housing projects to enhance the quality of life and not destroy the environment. The objectives of this research were to: 1) study the level of governance, infrastructure, technology management, stakeholder engagement, and successfulness of urban housing project development; 2) examine the influence of causal factors, i.e., governance, infrastructure, technology management, stakeholder engagement and successfulness of urban housing project development, and 3) propose development guidelines on urban housing projects following the smart city approach. This research employed the mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative research methods. For quantitative research, the sample consisted of 360 residents in smart projects by using systematic sampling. For qualitative research, in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 key informants. The results indicated that: 1) governance, infrastructure, technology management, stakeholder engagement, and success of urban housing project development were at high levels; 2) Governance, infrastructure, technology management, and stakeholder engagement, collectively exerted significant effects on the success of urban housing project development, yielding impact values of 0.87, 0.44, 0.41, and 0.29 respectively, at a significance level of 0.01; 3) Guidelines for developing urban housing projects with a smart city approach were as follows: (1) the management of connectivity between the inside and outside the housing projects with modern technology to ensure easy and swift access and resident’s safety and privacy; (2) Developing infrastructure especially the transportation system within the housing projects to establish effective connections with the external environment; (3) Participatory governance in which residents are involved in managing the various systems of the projects (4) communicating information and educating residents about water pollution and waste management to reduce the impact on the environment in the housing project; And (5) arranging spaces within the housing project for activities that both and individuals from outside the community can participate in fostering interactions among project managers, residents and community members, ultimately helping reduce potential conflicts Therefore, the success of smart city development in housing projects would require cooperation from the government sector, private sector and communities, especially stakeholders.