Green communication on the concept of a smart city among all stakeholders in Surabaya

Abstract

The development of the Smart City concept in Indonesia shows a positive trend, including in the city of Surabaya as one of the pioneers of digital transformation in governance and public services. However, the implementation of a smart city does not only depend on the availability of technological infrastructure, but also on the understanding, acceptance, and involvement of all stakeholders. This study aims to identify the level of understanding of various actors—government, academics, the private sector, communities, and the general public—regarding the concept of Smart City in Surabaya, as well as to analyze communication and education barriers that hinder the dissemination of this understanding. Using a descriptive qualitative approach through in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation studies, this study found that understanding of Smart City is still uneven. The government has strong technical capacity, but its socialization strategy is not yet inclusive; the general public tends to understand Smart City only as the use of public service applications; while cross-sector collaboration is not yet optimal. The main obstacles include low digital literacy, lack of collaboration platforms, minimal two-way communication, and limited access to technology in certain areas. This study recommends community-based promotion and education strategies, strengthening collaboration forums, providing participatory platforms, and conducting sustainable digital literacy campaigns to increase public understanding and involvement in Smart City development in Surabaya.