Implementing a Culture-Based Smart City in Bali: The Potential and Implications of a Social Smart City

This study examines the practical viability of a culture-based Social Smart City by analyzing Bali’s smart city strategy, which integrates technological innovation with the island’s indigenous philosophy, <i>Tri Hita Karana</i>. The research aims to identify how cultural values, community-based governance, and sustainability-oriented policies shape an alternative smart city model distinct from conventional technology-driven approaches. A qualitative case study was conducted using government policy documents, statistical data, academic literature, and recent field-based reports. Comparative analysis was used to assess Bali’s governance systems—electronic government (SPBE), public Wi-Fi expansion, Single Sign-On (SSO) platforms, creative economy programs, and environmental initiatives—within the Social Smart City framework. Findings reveal that Bali’s model operationalizes cultural principles through institutionalized governance, participatory mechanisms, and creative-economy integration. SPBE and SSO enhance administrative transparency and citizen participation, while public Wi-Fi and digital platforms improve service accessibility. Tri Hita Karana-based policies strengthen alignment between cultural identity, environmental stewardship, and urban innovation. However, the model faces structural challenges, including digital literacy gaps, uneven infrastructure distribution, cybersecurity weaknesses, policy inconsistency, and limited technological capacity. Bali presents an emerging Social Smart City model that demonstrates the importance of embedding cultural identity, community participation, and ecological values into smart city planning. Although still in an experimental phase, the model offers transferable insights for urban policy, international development cooperation, and culturally adaptive smart city strategies in regions such as Korea. Strengthening data-driven evaluation, digital literacy, and multi-stakeholder governance will be essential for ensuring long-term sustainability and broader applicability.