Digital transformation with enterprise architecture for smarter cities: a qualitative research approach
Digital Policy, Regulation and Governance
ISSN: 2398-5038
Article publication date: 12 August 2021
Issue publication date: 1 October 2021
Abstract
Purpose
Smart city services are supported by information and communication technologies (ICT) referred to as digital technologies which increasingly promise huge opportunities for growth but are faced with system alignment and data integration issues when providing digital services. Therefore, this study aims to use enterprise architecture (EA) in digital transformation of cities by developing an architecture to address system alignment and data integration in digital transformation of cities.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative method is applied to evaluate the presented architecture based on electric-mobility (e-mobility) scenario, and data was collected using case study via interviews from a municipality in Norway to validate the applicability of EA for digital transformation of city services.
Findings
Findings from the interviews were represented in ArchiMate language to model the digital transformation of e-mobility in smart cities. Findings suggest that the architecture serves as a guide to recommend urban administrators of the potential of EA and digital transformation in addressing system alignment and data integration issues in smart cities.
Research limitations/implications
Data used in this study is from a single case, hence there is a need to evaluate the application of EA for digital transformation of city services with data collected from multi-cases.
Practical implications
This study adopts enterprise architecture approach to support city transformation as it has been widely applied by institutions to align business and ICT components.
Social implications
This study provides implication on how municipalities can use EA and digital transformations towards a sustainable smart city.
Originality/value
An architecture is presented that can be used as a guide to help urban developers and designers in deploying sustainable transport policies for smart cities. Additionally, EA is used to foster digitalization towards achieving system alignment and data integration in cities to support urban environment as they digitally transform services provided to citizens.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This publication is a part of the +CityxChange smart city project (https://cityxchange.eu/) under the Smart Cities and Communities topic that is funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 824260. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the project partners: Trondheim Municipality, Powel AS, TrønderEnergi AS, FourC AS, IOTA, and the participants of work packages 1 and 2 as well as the whole project team.
Citation
Anthony Jnr, B., Abbas Petersen, S., Helfert, M. and Guo, H. (2021), "Digital transformation with enterprise architecture for smarter cities: a qualitative research approach", Digital Policy, Regulation and Governance, Vol. 23 No. 4, pp. 355-376. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPRG-04-2020-0044
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited