Abstract:

People-oriented public services are the main content of smart city construction. This study takes the urban development of Shijiazhuang, a provincial capital city undergoing rapid urbanization, as an example to examine problems in public service provision with respect to smart city construction based on practical needs of the city residents. The study used 671 samples from a questionnaire survey. It aimed at providing decision support for the determination of smart city construction direction and priorities. The results show that traffic and air pollution control are in urgent need of improvement by means of smart city development; in the area of food safety it is required that supervision of its key aspects should be strengthened and information collection should cover the whole processes; in the areas of medical care, education, and social security, integration, balanced supply, and sharing of information resources should be strengthened; improving wireless network coverage and online remote services are also widely expected by the public. Overall, smart city construction in Shijiazhuang is still in the initial stage. The actual level of public services is still far from being able to meet the needs of its residents. Significant improvements are needed in the leading role of the government, influence of the market forces, and public participation. Public service provision and management in smart cities can be improved by the optimization of top-level design, integration of information resources, promotion of digital decision support, and improvement in public participation.

Key words: smart city, public services, residents demand, Shijiazhuang City