Previous studies have reported that local governments play an essential role and are considered the leading actors in executing smart city initiatives. However, the motives and decision-making rationale behind smart city planning and implementation have yet to be clearly understood. This chapter empirically explores the motivation behind the adoption of smart cities. A case study focusing on the Magelang Smart City development initiative in Indonesia from 2013 to 2021 was employed to address the research objective. The findings showed that the smart city adoption was not purely motivated by public goods but also embedded within political and bureaucratic benefits. Drawing from the findings, a dual motive framework for the smart city adoption was proposed. It can also be regarded as a heuristic approach to understanding why a city adopts a smart city concept in its urban development strategy. The framework entails push and pull factors that drive a city's pursuit of being smart. This study contributes to the debates of smart city scholarships, highlighting the political and social dimensions in the Asian context.