ABSTRACT:The global shift toward smart urban ecosystems reflects an evolving intersection of governance, technology, and citizen engagement. This study critically examines citizen perceptions of smart city initiatives through primary data collected from 27 respondents across diverse settlement categories. Moving beyond surface-level adoption metrics, the research investigates behavioral patterns, governance trust deficits, and infrastructural expectations. The findings suggest that while citizens demonstrate a clear preference for functional technological interventions particularly in traffic and waste management there exists a structural disconnect between policy intent and lived experience. Governance inefficiencies, especially corruption, emerge as dominant barriers, overshadowing even technological and financial constraints Furthermore, the study reveals an ambivalent stance toward surveillance technologies, indicating a nuanced negotiation between public safety and individual privacy. The paper argues that the success of smart city frameworks is contingent not merely on technological deployment but on institutional credibility, participatory governance, and sustained public trust

URBAN TRANSFORMATION & SMART CITY GOVERNANCE: A CITIZEN PERSPECTIVE

SOURAV BAGULI, SUMIT RATHORE, RAJESH DEVSARKAR
UNDER GUIDANCE OF DR SUNITA VIJESH YADAV