Date

9-17-2026

Department

Helms School of Government

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration (PhD)

Chair

Colin Ashburn

Keywords

smart cities, ethical governance, resilience, digital equity, urban planning, emerging technologies, public trust.

Disciplines

Computer Sciences | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Abstract

This dissertation examines how Dallas’s smart city strategic policies foster resilience against disruptions associated with emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and Internet of Things systems. Using a convergent mixed-methods comparative case study, Dallas serves as the primary case, Austin serves as a U.S. municipal comparator, and Barcelona serves as a qualitative benchmark for ethical and trust-centered smart city governance. The study integrates document analysis, broadband and digital equity indicators, stakeholder engagement evidence, and exploratory quantitative comparisons to assess how governance adaptability, preparedness, functionality, equity, and stakeholder trust shape resilience outcomes.

The findings provide partial support for the study’s hypotheses. Dallas demonstrates a resilience-oriented policy foundation through smart city pilots, cybersecurity attention, digital equity programming, and service continuity goals. However, implementation gaps remain, particularly in underserved neighborhoods where infrastructure access, affordability, and adoption barriers limit equitable participation in smart city systems. The Dallas-Austin comparison shows that digital equity barriers differ by context. Dallas faces stronger infrastructure and neighborhood-level access challenges, while Austin faces stronger affordability and subscription barriers. Barcelona illustrates how rights-based governance, participation, privacy-by-design, and digital trust mechanisms can strengthen smart city resilience, although its model is used as a qualitative benchmark rather than a statistically equivalent comparator. The study contributes to public administration, urban planning, and smart city governance by proposing a Resilient Ethical Governance by Design framework that integrates adaptive governance, socio-technical systems theory, and ethical governance. Policy recommendations include institutionalizing digital equity as a resilience requirement, strengthening cross-departmental smart city governance, adopting equity impact assessments, improving privacy and data governance safeguards, supporting affordability and adoption programs, and developing long-term funding beyond temporary grants. Future research should test the Smart City Resilience Index across additional cities, incorporate direct resident perspectives, and examine smart city resilience outcomes longitudinally.

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