CAMBODIA is building both “smart” cities and “liveable” cities under a mishmash of well-meaning plans that aim to attract investment and talent, create new production and service ecosystems, and develop supply chains. There is no shortage of good advice, but funds and a coherent strategy are scarce.
Tales of constructing Cambodian cities started about 10 years ago when the Cambodian authorities launched a futuristic “Samdech Techo Hun Sen Dragon City”, named after Prime Minister Hun Sen’s royal title and zodiac sign. They called for US$80 billion in investment to build the new capital which consisted of a combination of Angkor Wat-like structures ringed by water bodies and traditional Chinese architecture.
