ABSTRACT
Smart urbanisation has become a popular discourse in urban policy circles across the world. This is due to the rising popularity of the smart city notion, the main premise of which is achieving heightened economic development, quality of life, and sustainability using digital data and technology for generating urban service efficiency. The smart city movement has created numerous initiatives globally, but almost all of them have failed or lack adequate potential to generate sustainable urban futures. The main reason behind this inadequacy is that current smart city practice portrays technologically determined and reductionist approaches to the city. These approaches overlook urban, human, and social complexities, and create conditions for new forms of social control, increased social inequality, and marginalisation. This chapter highlights the fundamental shortfalls around smart city conceptualisation and practice, and points to an approach that utilises technology, policy, and community as interconnected and balanced drivers to secure sustainable urban futures for all.
