Developing Smart City Infrastructure Inside a Historical City: A Case from Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam

Abstract

With the accelerated development of science and technology in the last 20 years, many cities in the world are undergoing major changes to become smarter, safer, and more sustainable. Some cities in Vietnam are also making efforts to catch up with this irreversible trend. In Vietnam, the government is working with corporations to plan and implement smart cities, focusing on nine fields: architecture, urban planning, interaction, healthcare, education, transportation, safety and security, journalism and communication management, and digital government. This paper draws on the case of the Intelligent Operations Center in Thua Thien Hue province––a remarkable example of effective smart city planning and application in Asia—and analyzes its smart city implementation inside a historical and cultural city. The center is designed and implemented to lay a sound foundation for smart city technologies. The Intelligent Operations Center helps the government supervise and control citizens’ social activities and predict social trends. Additionally, it encourages the participation of citizens in managing the city.