THE READINESS OF PALANGKA RAYA CITY GOVERNMENT TOWARDS THE SMART CITY

Abstract

As a city develops, several issues begin to emerge due to the changes in population growth, thus provides new challenges in realizing a smart city. In implementing the smart city initiative, Palangka Raya, the capital city of Central Kalimantan Province, has met various challenges due to its geographical and demographic conditions. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the readiness of the Palangka Raya Government toward the Smart City, as well as to identify the efforts made by the Government to overcome those obstacles. This study used descriptive research methods with a qualitative approach and inductive data analysis. As for the research scope, the concept of the Garuda Smart City Model was applied in this study to measure the maturity level of Palangka Raya in implementing smart city initiatives. Data collection in this study was conducted by interview, observation, and documentation. Based on the results of research and data processing, it can be concluded that the readiness of Palangka Raya City Government towards the Smart City is said to be ready but not yet running optimally. There are some obstacles in the implementation of this program, including uneven internet network distribution throughout the city, the insufficiency of electrical power for the command center, and limited funds of the local budget. Moreover, The government’s effort to overcome the problems is to determine the scale of prioritization, which will solve the majority number of disparities problems in Palangka Raya due to the various typologies of the city which consists of cities, villages, and forestry. Furthermore, the government's efforts to develop Palangka Raya as a smart city have been formed in regulation listed in Regional Regulation No. 02 of 2019 related to the smart city program which has a clear strategy and steps to realize the smart city program in Palangka Raya.