Investigating Smart City Development Orientations in Vietnam: Current Situation and Solutions

Authors

  • Bui Minh Tam Faculty of Business Administration, National Economics University, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
  • Pham Thi Yen Nhi Faculty of Business Administration, National Economics University, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2025.v10.n6.008

Keywords:

Digital Public Services, Smart city, Smart City Governance, Socio-technical Systems, Vietnam

Abstract

This study investigates citizens’ current perceptions and understanding of distinct development trends in smart cities, focusing on selected smart city initiatives in Vietnam. Recent literature often mentions the integration of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), as playing a pivotal role in shaping sustainable smart urban environments. In addition, sustainable waste management and comprehensive urban planning have also received frequent attention in recent years. For example, challenges in urban solid waste management in Vietnam highlight current gaps in public awareness and participation, which are crucial for sustainable city operations. Findings from Vietnam show uneven awareness across different aspects of smart cities, with citizens tending to perceive applications related to mobility and environmental management more favorably, while governance and participatory platforms remain largely neglected. These findings highlight the disconnect between top-down smart city policies and grassroots perceptions, emphasizing the need and role of more comprehensive communication. This study contributes to the theoretical literature on smart cities by highlighting the importance of tailoring local development trajectories to public understanding and sentiment in emerging economies.

Author Biographies

Bui Minh Tam , Faculty of Business Administration, National Economics University, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam

Bui Minh Tam is currently a second-year undergraduate student at the National Economics University (NEU), Hanoi, Vietnam. She is enrolled in a dual-degree program, majoring in Business Administration and Economic Law. With a keen interest in governance, sustainable development, and regulatory policies, she actively participates in academic activities and student-led research projects. By pursuing this interdisciplinary education, she aims to develop a comprehensive perspective that integrates legal knowledge with business acumen, preparing herself for a future career in business consulting or corporate legal advisory.

Pham Thi Yen Nhi, Faculty of Business Administration, National Economics University, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam

Pham Thi Yen Nhi is currently pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration at the Faculty of Business Administration, National Economics University (NEU), Hanoi, Vietnam. Prior to university, she attended Nguyen Chi Thanh High School for the Gifted, where she specialized in Mathematics. Her academic interests lie in strategic management, smart city development, and consumer behavior in digital transformation contexts. She is actively engaged in research projects and academic seminars, aiming to explore interdisciplinary approaches to urban development and public engagement. As a motivated student, she is working toward developing analytical skills and practical knowledge in business management to contribute to the evolving field of smart governance and innovation-driven cities in Vietnam.

References

Ajaj, R., Buniya, M. K., Wuni, I. Y., & Yousif, O. S. (2025). A structural equation model of the critical success factors for sustainable smart cities: A case study of Abu Dhabi. Journal of Urban Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jum.2025.02.008

Quỳnh Nga. (2017, February 2). Xây dựng thành phố thông minh: Đi chậm nhưng chắc. Báo Công Thương. https://kinhte.congthuong.vn/xay-dung-thanh-pho-thong-minhdi-cham-nhung-chac-202226.html

LÂM THẢO. (2024, December 3). Đà Nẵng tiếp tục giữ vị trí tiên phong trong xây dựng thành phố thông minh. Báo Nhân Dân Điện Tử. https://nhandan.vn/da-nang-tiep-tuc-giu-vi-tri-tien-phong-trong-xay-dung-thanh-pho-thong-minh-post848392.html

Aik Wirsbinna, Grega, L., & Juenger, M. (2023). Assessing Factors Influencing Citizens’ Behavioral Intention towards Smart City Living. Smart Cities, 6(6), 3093–3111. https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities6060138

Xu, H., & Zhu, W. (2020). Evaluating the impact mechanism of citizen participation on citizen satisfaction in a smart city. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 239980832098074. https://doi.org/10.1177/2399808320980746

Harrison, C., Eckman, B., Hamilton, R., Hartswick, P., Kalagnanam, J., Paraszczak, J., et al. (2010). Foundations for smarter cities. IBM Journal of Research and Development, 54, 1–16. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/5512826/

Kondepudi, S. (2014). Smart sustainable cities analysis of definitions. The ITU-T Focus Group for Smart Sustainable Cities.

Gomstyn, A., & Jonker, A. (2023, November 22). What is a smart city? Ibm.com. https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/smart-city

França, R. P., Iano, Y., Monteiro, A. C. B., & Arthur, R. (2020). Improvement of the Transmission of Information for ICT Techniques Through CBEDE Methodology. Utilizing Educational Data Mining Techniques for Improved Learning, 13–34. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-0010-1.ch002

Angelidou, M. (2015). Smart cities: A conjuncture of four forces. Cities, 47, 95-106. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264275115000633

Zygiaris, S. (2013). Smart city reference model: Assisting planners to conceptualize the building of smart city innovation ecosystems. Journal of the knowledge economy, 4, 217-231. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13132-012-0089-4

Giffinger, R., Fertner, C., Kramar, H., Kalasek, R., Pichler-Milanovic, N., & Meijers, E. J. (2007). Smart cities. Ranking of European medium-sized cities. Final report. https://repositum.tuwien.at/bitstream/20.500.12708/153435/1/Giffinger-2007-Smart%20cities.%20Ranking%20of%20European%20medium-sized%20cities.%20Fin...-vor.pdf

Shichiyakh, R.A., Klyuchnikov, D.A., Balashova, S.P., Novoselov, S.N. and Novosyolova, N.N. (2016), “Smart city as the basic construct of the socio-economic development of territories”, International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Vol. 6, pp. 157-162. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ijefi/issue/31979/352561

Giffinger, R., & Gudrun, H. (2010). Smart cities ranking: an effective instrument for the positioning of the cities?. ACE: architecture, city and environment, 4(12), 7-.26. https://upcommons.upc.edu/handle/2099/8550

Pinochet, L. H. C., Romani, G. F., de Souza, C. A., & Rodríguez-Abitia, G. (2019) Intention to live in a smart city based on its characteristics in the perception by the young public. Revista de Gestão, 26(1), 73-92. https://doi.org/10.1108/REGE-06-2018-0077

Ojo, A., Dzhusupova, Z. and Curry, E. (2015), “Exploring the nature of the smart cities research landscape”, in Gil-Garcia, R., Pardo, T.A. and Nam, T. (Eds), Smarter as the New Urban Agenda: A Comprehensive View of the 21st Century City, Springer International Publishing, pp. 23-32. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-17620-8_2

Benevolo, C., Dameri, R. P., & D’auria, B. (2015). Smart mobility in smart city: Action taxonomy, ICT intensity and public benefits. In Empowering organizations: Enabling platforms and artefacts (pp. 13-28). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-23784-8_2

Paskaleva, K. (2013). E-governance as an enabler of the smart city 1. In Smart Cities (pp. 33-51). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203076224-4/governance-enabler-smart-city-1-krassimira-paskaleva

Lytras, M. D., Visvizi, A., Chopdar, P. K., Sarirete, A., & Alhalabi, W. (2021). Information Management in Smart Cities: Turning end users’ views into multi-item scale development, validation, and policy-making recommendations. International Journal of Information Management, 56, 102146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102146

Barrionuevo, J.M., Berrone, P. and Ricart, J.E. (2012), “Smart cities, sustainable progress”, IESE Insight, Vol. 14, Third Quarter, pp. 50-57.

Arvidsson, A. (2005). Brands: A critical perspective. Journal of Consumer Culture, 5(2), 235–258. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540505053093

Lombardi, P., Giordano, S., Farouh, H. and Yousef, W. (2012), “Modelling the smart city performance”, Innovation: the European Journal of Social Science Research, Vol. 25 No. 2, pp. 137-149. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13511610.2012.660325

Hanoitimes. (2024, October 31). Hanoi plans major upgrade for iHaNoi by 2026. Hanoitimes.vn; Hanoitimes. https://hanoitimes.vn/hanoi-plans-major-upgrade-for-ihanoi-by-2026.594353.html

VIR, V. I. R. -. (2024). Vietnam Investment Review - VIR. Vietnam Investment Review - VIR. https://vir.com.vn/

(HueCIT, 2023), Trung tâm Công nghệ thông tin tỉnh Thừa Thiên Huế. (2022). Huecit.vn. https://huecit.vn/

Downloads

Published

16-06-2025

How to Cite

Tam, B. M., & Pham, T. Y. N. (2025). Investigating Smart City Development Orientations in Vietnam: Current Situation and Solutions . RESEARCH REVIEW International Journal of Multidisciplinary, 10(6), 63–71. https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2025.v10.n6.008