Collaborative Governance in Smart Cities: Transparency, Public Trust, and Lessons from Central and Eastern Europe

_{Collaborative Governance in Smart Cities: Transparency, Public Trust, and Lessons from Central and Eastern Europe}

_{Ani Matei}

^{University Professor at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Faculty of Public Administration, Bucharest, Romania}

_{Bogdan Corhaneanu}

^{PhD Student at the Doctoral School of the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, field of study: Administrative Sciences, Bucharest, Romania}

This article examines how collaborative governance enhances transparency and public trust in smart cities, focusing on Central and Eastern Europe. The research highlights the roles of citizen engagement and private sector participation in fostering governmental accountability and improved governance outcomes. Prior studies emphasize advanced technologies and public service provision but overlook the influence of collaborative governance on public trust. Using a qualitative approach, this study analyzes case studies, including Tallinn (Estonia) and Cluj-Napoca (Romania), to evaluate practices promoting transparency and trust. Methods include analyzing official documents, public reports, and digital engagement platforms. Findings reveal that smart cities with collaborative governance achieve higher public trust through transparency and interactive digital tools enabling real-time participation. Best practices demonstrate enhanced citizen access to information and stronger citizen-administration relationships. For policy-makers, this study offers a strategic framework for integrating collaborative governance into smart city initiatives, emphasizing transparency, participation, and accountability.

Keywords: Smart cities; collaborative governance; transparency; public trust