Enhancing Society Welfare Through Smart City Improvement by the Government in Kediri

Abstract

The era of the fourth industrial revolution has caused many changes in every aspect of human life. The rapid development of technology has brought many advances affecting the socio-economic aspects of the lives of people in urban areas. The impact is different in people who are adapted compared with people who cannot adjust. Therefore, the government must interfere to accommodate these different conditions to reduce socio-economic inequalities for the future. The government also plays a role in efforts to improve welfare through the Smart City program, which involves all components of society. This program involves planning, developing and implementing technology in an urban area, which creates complex and synchronized systems of interactions. The purpose of this study was to determine the strategic role of Smart City in improving people’s welfare. Kediri is one of the regions in Indonesia that has implemented a Smart City program and is continuously improving its implementation. Descriptive qualitative methods were used with a phenomenological approach. Data were collected through observations and literacy studies, to obtain a reflection of the implementation of Smart City in Kediri. The results described the implementation of the Smart City program, and showed that the quality of government services relating to the welfare of the community has improved, in terms of the economy, education, health and public facilities. The level of community participation in supporting regional activities has also increased due to the support of information and communication technology. Keywords: Regional Economy, Smart City Program, Society Welfare, ICT