The Global South’s perspective on smart city development in Indonesia: a case study of Pariaman City

This article examines the development of a smart city in Pariaman, a small city in Indonesia, a country in the Global South. Understanding smart city initiatives in the Global South is crucial, as existing literature predominantly focuses on the Global North, despite significant socioeconomic and cultural differences between the two. Using a qualitative approach, this study draws on both secondary data and interviews with seven senior officials responsible for Pariaman’s smart city development. The findings reveal that local cultural, religious and social realities, particularly Islam and Minangkabau values, shape smart city development in Pariaman City and guide policy through a logic of appropriateness. Across culture, metabolism and governance, the smart city development exhibits provincialising tendencies, rather than achieving the broader goals of sustainability, inclusivity and convenience often emphasised in the Global North’s smart city models. Additionally, the findings reveal a persistent tension between ambition and digital capacity. As a result, Pariaman City risks becoming a symbolic smart city, one that adopts digital initiatives to signal modernity despite limited implementation and digital capacity.