Challenges and opportunities for equity in public management: Digital applications in multicultural Smart cities

Abstract

The paper connects the literature on equity in public management with smart cities and explores the effects on the equity of digital projects in multicultural smart cities. We studied four ongoing digital projects in three large ethnically mixed cities in Israel (Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Haifa, Jerusalem). Our findings show that while all projects were designed to achieve certain benefits for residents, they are not equally accessible to all. Moreover, residents of all sectors were not actively involved in the processes of their design and implementation. We suggest embracing value co-creation, civilian discourse, and the implementation of structural mechanisms to effect change.