Jayasena, N S; Chan, D W M and Kumaraswamy, M (2024) Benefits, enablers and barriers in deploying PPP when developing smart infrastructure in non-urban areas. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 14(1), pp. 92-108. ISSN 2044-124X
Abstract
Purpose: The widespread lockdown restrictions brought by the global COVID-19 epidemic inculcated a culture of “work-from-home”. However, most rural areas lack reliable and effective community amenities including transportation, health and education, thereby impeding healthy living and productive employment. Therefore, the underlying goal of this research is to investigate the development of smart infrastructure (SI) in non-urban areas. However, governments' resource limitations must be addressed to develop SI, which urges the research on the potential for public-private partnerships (PPP) to supplement public sector resources when necessary. Design/methodology/approach: This paper examined and evaluated the “benefits and enablers” and “barriers” to deploying PPPs to create SI in non-urban areas, using a thorough literature review, five expert interviews and analytic hierarchy process (AHP)-based questionnaire responses. The AHP technique and content analysis were used to analyse the results and generate the conclusions. Findings: The availability of a favourable investment climate and legal framework were identified as the significant factors among the “benefits and enablers” of adopting PPP in SI developments in non-urban areas, while low community acceptance of the private sector involvement, and community culture and values were identified as the significant factors among the “barriers”. These highlight the significance of removing barriers connected to community culture and “values”. Originality/value: The findings and conclusions of this study provide a strong foundation to support the growth of SI in non-urban settings, facilitating more sustainable development that is more evenly distributed in the post-COVID-19 future.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | non-urban areas; public-private partnership; smart infrastructure; smart villages |
| Index terms: | rural area, questionnaire, urban area, methodology, public sector, content analysis, private sector, literature review, partnership, smart infrastructure, employment, sustainable development, interview, COVID-19 |
| Subjects: | data analysis and analytics, data collection methods, industry analysis, administrative law, systems engineering, partnership management, land use and regional development, health safety and environment, health risk and incident analysis, management, urban form and morphology, research methods |
| Topics: | Stakeholder Management, Engineering Principles, Research Practice, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Human Resources, Urban Studies, Legal Issues |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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