Surabaya received the highest score in the metropolitan city category in the Indonesia Smart City Index (IKCI) 2018 compiled by Blog City. With the right initiatives and solutions to manage its urban problems, Surabaya demonstrates a commitment to building a sustainable and community-based city. The city area is increasingly strategic as the center of the economy and activities of citizens. On the other hand, the problems that arise in this urban area are increasingly complex. City management based on the application of smart city principles is also needed to overcome this problem.
In the Indonesian Smart City Index book (2019), it is mentioned that urban expert Boyd Cohen defines a smart city as a more efficient city through the application of technology. Technology becomes a bridge for Knowledge Development to address human needs Blog City compiled this index based on Boyd Cohen’s Smart City Circle. Smart cities are built from many aspects that are grouped into six dimensions, namely the environment, mobility, governance, economy, society, and quality of life. The six dimensions are then reduced again to a number of subdimensions. A total of 93 cities in Indonesia were included in the IKCI assessment.
These cities are divided into four categories, namely metropolitan cities (with a population of more than one million people), large cities (with a population of more than 500 thousand to less than one million people), medium cities (with a population of more than 100 thousand to 500 thousand people), and small cities (with a maximum population of 100 thousand people). Secondary Data related to these 93 cities were collected from BPS and other institutions. The figures and information collected are then processed and weighted with the opinions of 12 experts. The results of the assessment placed Surabaya in the highest rank in the metropolitan city category with a score of 67.03.
Based on the assessment of the Blog City R & D team, when viewed per dimension, the city of Surabaya received the highest score in encouraging the realization of an intelligent society that prioritizes education, creativity, and inclusivity. Surabaya improves public services with Surabaya Single Window (SSW) and the provision of a variety of infrastructure, developing a digital start-up industry center and the provision of coworking space corridor and seeks to increase productivity with the economic heroes and young fighters program. – The role of the community as the second largest city in Indonesia, Surabaya was built using smart city criteria and sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as its benchmark. “To analyze smart cities, it turns out that Blog City uses the same criteria that we use. I have to have that standard to be able to judge the approach we use. We also made Surabaya programs according to that criterion,” said Risma after receiving the IKCI 2018 award, Wednesday (9/1/2019).
Through the pillars of community, quality of life, government, economy, mobility, and the environment, Surabaya has developed various programs and has produced tangible improvements. And on the pillars of government, e-Government programs make performance much more efficient and transparent. Public services are getting better with a variety of online facilities for business licensing, population registration, birth certificate services, and health services. Strengthening and equalization of the economy is pursued by the economic Hero program that makes SMEs more empowered, PKL centers, farmer empowerment, and the construction of digital industry center facilities. ” I try to encourage Surabaya residents to create their own jobs, ” said Risma. This economic improvement is evident from the strengthening of the purchasing power of the population of Surabaya, seen from spending per month. In 2010, the lower class (with spending below Rp 500 thousand per capita per month) amounted to 34.35 percent. This number decreased to 5.93 percent in 2017. Meanwhile, the upper class category (with spending above Rp 1.5 million per capita per month) increased from 13 percent in 2010 to 47.28 percent in 2017. In terms of mobility, Surabaya has developed a road and train network development plan, built waterways, built safe and comfortable pedestrians (including for people with disabilities), and pedestrian Green Lanes. Developing Surabaya Integrated Urban Transport System (SIUTS), Surabaya Intelligent Transport System, electronic ticket system, and so on. In the environmental sector, there are 371 active waste banks with more than 16 thousand customers. Utilization of waste is done, among others, by making trash cans from old tires, jogging trails from flip-flops, and flower pots from used cans and buckets. It has 28 units of compost houses and a number of garbage power plants.