IMPLEMENTATION OF SMART CITY FOR IMPROVING PUBLIC SERVICE QUALITY: A STUDY IN SITUBONDO REGENCY

Digital transformation through the development of smart cities has become a strategic approach to improving the quality of public services and the effectiveness of regional governance. This study aims to analyze the implementation of six dimensions of smart cities in Situbondo Regency and the factors that influence their effectiveness in improving public services. This study employs a descriptive qualitative method with purposive sampling and interactive analysis, which includes data condensation, thematic categorization, and source triangulation. All dimensions of smart cities have progressed. However, a mature policy ecosystem has not yet been established. The coherence of objectives between organizations is still weak, policy instruments are not yet integrated, community digital literacy is uneven, and multi-actor collaboration is not yet stable. While smart governance and the smart economy have shown more significant improvements, the smart society and smart environment encounter challenges related to social readiness and technological limitations. This study confirms that the success of a smart city is not only determined by technological capacity, but also by policy harmonization, social readiness, system interoperability, and sustainable policy learning mechanisms as the basis for strengthening regional digital transformation.