A HUMAN-CENTERED SMART CITY APPROACH TROUGH VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL COORDINATION IN ROMANIA
A HUMAN-CENTERED SMART CITY APPROACH TROUGH VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL COORDINATION IN ROMANIA

Summary/Abstract: This study investigates the implementation of the Smart City concept in Romania through the lens of vertical and horizontal intergovernmental coordination, emphasizing a human-centered governance model. The main objective is to assess the systemic and procedural limitations that hinder effective policy integration, citizen participation, and sustainable digital transformation at local and regional levels. The research employs a qualitative, analytical method, grounded in legal, policy, and institutional frameworks, supported by comparative insights and empirical data from public reports and academic literature. The results reveal that while Romania has formal structures for coordination and access to substantial EU funding, the effectiveness of smart governance is constrained by weak administrative capacity, procedural formalism, digital illiteracy, and low citizen engagement. There is a visible mismatch between strategic ambitions and operational realities, with fragmented digital services, limited intersectoral collaboration, and political-centralism undermining local autonomy. The study highlights the urgent need for cohesive planning, inclusive consultation mechanisms, and genuine citizen empowerment. It underscores that smart city development is not merely technological but fundamentally social and institutional. The findings have implications for policy reform, advocating for a culture of coordination, transparency, and digital competence as prerequisites for sustainable and citizen-oriented urban innovation.

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