Collaboration, Organizational Capacity, and Sustainability: The Cross-Sector Governance of Smart Cities

Interactions with other organizations likely influence how local governments confront complex problems. Drawing on theories of collaborative governance, we investigate the extent to which collaboration affects U.S. local governments’ prioritization of the sustainability benefits of Smart Cities Technologies (SCT). Using data from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) 2016 Smart Cities Survey and the U.S. Census Bureau, we find that collaboration with local, regional, and private sector partners influences the extent to which local governments prioritize the sustainability benefits of SCT. Organizational capacity is also an important predictor of perceived benefits of SCT. Our findings suggest a hidden side of boundary spanning, suggesting that collaboration can enhance opportunities for sustainability technologies.