Comparison of Smart City Policies and Practices among Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in the Greater Bay Area in South China

This paper examines smart city building policies and practices in the four major cities (Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou and Shenzhen) in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which is one of the target areas in the national development strategy. The study also draws on smart city efforts from international experiences. Through the survey of literature, the study of policies, identification of existing successes, issues and problems, and evaluation of the practices of these cities, the authors offer suggestions for further reform efforts to promote the building of smart urban clusters in the area, including better intergovernmental collaboration and free flow of information, talents, capital, and technology. Platform infrastructure, legal framework, and more effective policies should be made to facilitate efforts of such regional integration.