Developing a critical understanding of smart urbanism?

TLDR

Smart urbanism, positioned at the nexus of future urban visions, technology, and infrastructure, is largely defined by normative, tech‑centric narratives, yet research remains fragmented and insufficient to fully assess its transformative potential. The study aims to critically examine the drivers, beneficiaries, and consequences of smart urbanism across diverse urban settings. The review analyzes the logics and rationales of smart urbanism discourses to reveal how urban future imaginaries are constructed and their socio‑technical and political implications for research.

Abstract

Smart urbanism is emerging at the intersection of visions for the future of urban places, new technologies and infrastructures. Smart urbanism discourses are deeply rooted in seductive and normative visions of the future where digital technology stands as the primary driver for change. Yet our understanding of the opportunities, challenges, and implications of smart urbanism is limited. Research in this field is in its infancy, fragmented along disciplinary lines and often based on single city case studies. As a result, we lack both the theoretical insight and empirical evidence required to assess the implications of this potentially transformative phenomenon. Given the significant implications of smart urbanism there is an urgent need to critically engage with why, how, for whom and with what consequences smart urbanism is emerging in different urban contexts. The aim of this review is to unpack the different logics and rationales behind smart urbanism discourses and proposals, and in this way understand the ways by which imaginaries of urban futures are currently being constructed, along with their socio-technical and political implications for future research priorities.