A naukri.com initiative
Bioengineer
1d
265
Image Credit: Bioengineer
Smart City Governance in Southern Africa: A Review
- A comprehensive review of smart city governance in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region sheds light on the challenges and opportunities in integrating technology with urban dynamics.
- The study explores the intersection of urban growth and digital modernity in Southern Africa, where traditional governance structures meet 'smart' infrastructures.
- Five thematic pillars are analyzed, focusing on social development promises, institutionalizing smart city governance, digital citizenship, infrastructure as a socio-technical ecosystem, and diverse strategies for 'smarting' the city.
- The review emphasizes the need for adaptive governance structures that are both technologically savvy and locally inclusive to sustain smart city ambitions.
- Digital citizenship is highlighted as a critical theme, encompassing not just technology access but meaningful participation in smart city decision-making processes.
- The study calls for a deeper focus on the impacts of data-driven decision-making, emphasizing concerns such as data sovereignty, surveillance, and digital infrastructures' role in reinforcing inequalities.
- Smart city projects in Southern Africa operate within intricate networks of institutional actors, requiring a nuanced understanding of power dynamics and equitable intervention strategies.
- The research advocates for smart city infrastructures to be viewed as embedded in social contexts, guiding a reevaluation of urban political economy and infrastructural justice.
- By bridging academic inquiry with policy analysis, the review offers actionable insights for policymakers and urban planners to develop innovative and responsive smart city projects in the SADC region.
- This research underscores the importance of governance models that prioritize equity, inclusivity, and sustainability in shaping smarter, fairer urban futures tailored to Southern Africa's unique contexts.
- In the era of rapid urbanization and digital transformation, the study advocates for a convergence of scholarship and policy to foster smart cities that are democratic, inclusive, and sustainable, steering towards genuine urban transformation.
Read Full Article
16 Likes
For uninterrupted reading, download the app