Advancing Sustainable Governance across Two Smart Cities in Indonesia

The rapid advancement of digital technologies has transformed public service delivery by improving efficiency, transparency, accountability, and citizen participation. However, persistent challenges in urban governance and service integration continue to hinder progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). These challenges are closely related to Targets 11.3 and 11.7 on inclusive and sustainable urbanisation and access to public spaces, as well as Targets 16.6 and 16.7 on effective, accountable, transparent, and participatory institutions. In Indonesia, smart governance initiatives have increasingly been adopted to improve public services and address complex urban challenges. This study compares sustainable smart governance in Jogja Smart Service (JSS) and Jakarta Smart City (JSC) while also examining research trends in digital transformation and public services. A qualitative descriptive approach was combined with bibliometric analysis of 393 documents published between 2019 and 2024. VOSviewer was used to identify publication trends, leading countries and authors, and key themes in smart governance research. The findings indicate that Jakarta Smart City demonstrates a more technologically integrated governance model through big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and real-time decision-making systems, whereas Jogja Smart Service shows particular strengths in service accessibility and citizen engagement through user-centred digital platforms. Both initiatives contribute to sustainable smart governance by supporting institutional effectiveness, participatory governance, and sustainable urban development.