ABSTRACT
Chapter 8 examines the intersection of digital technologies with the wider urban landscape. Smart cities are one significant way in which urban areas suitable to the digital economy are being produced, and the relationship between digital work and digital homes is sought to be extended to the broader digitalization of the urban through connected utilities, smart mobility, and street and building sensors. As innovation hubs, smart cities are expected to improve the quality of workplaces and everyday lives in urban areas. By making cities more technologically aware, smart cities should also aim to be responsive to the needs of citizens in the context of the pandemic. Yet smart cities could remain “technological utopias” in India – their implementation on the ground is facing hurdles in terms of land acquisition, even as their limited rollout is raising fears that they will not be able to address the needs of the city as a whole. The future role of smart cities in India’s digital economy thus requires an awareness of both best practices across the world and India’s specific urban experiences.
