DEVELOPMENT OF MUNICIPALITY TO SMART CITY IN KHON KAEN PROVINCE

Abstract

          Urban development is part of the regional and urban planning, controlling the city to grow and expand in the right direction. Thus, the 20-Year National Strategic Plan has drawn plans to organize and develop the country-level and regional-level urban system, develop the technology for urban management, and provide facilities to become the very Smart city. Khon Kaen province has featured urban development to be a smart city. This article aimed to study the current conditions of the municipality in Khon Kaen to prepare for the development of a smart city and a way to develop the municipality into a smart city based on the national action plan. The researcher adopted qualitative research methods to collect information by studying documents in conjunction with executive and officer interviews from six municipalities in Khon Kaen, i.e., Kranuan municipality, Chum Phae municipality, Ban Thum municipality, Ban Phai municipality, Muang Phon municipality, and Sila municipality. The researcher analyzed the data using the triangulation method.

          Results showed that:

          the six municipalities were acutely aware of and prepared to develop the above-mentioned spaces into smart cities. The plans to develop municipalities into smart cities included seven smarts such as smart environment, smart economy, smart mobility, smart energy, smart people, smart living, and smart governance. The government should support the use of modern technologies and innovations to enhance the efficiency of city management and administration. These supports will lead to a smart city with cooperation from the public and private sectors.