Editorial: Innovative approaches to smart and sustainable urban development in the Global South
Résumé
Global urbanisation is increasing rapidly, and by 2050, the majority of urban population growth is projected to take place in developing regions, especially across Africa and Asia (El-Hajj, 2026; UN-Habitat, 2020). While cities are major engines of economic development, they are also central contributors to environmental pressures, accounting for over 70% of global carbon emissions and 60-80% of energy consumption. As urban systems expand, smart city approaches increasingly rely on ICT-driven solutions to improve efficiency, sustainability, and governance in rapidly growing urban environments (Silva et al., 2018;Park & Yoo, 2022). At the same time, the integration of sustainability into smart city thinking reflects a broader shift toward balancing technological innovation with environmental and social goals (Kumar et al., 2025;Trindade et al., 2017). In the Global South, these challenges are intensified by infrastructure deficits and uneven development, making the role of digital technologies and renewable energy even more critical for sustainable urban transformation (Arku & Marais, 2021;Das, 2025). This Research Topic in Frontiers in Sustainable Cities explores how ICTs, renewable energy systems, and advanced analytics can contribute to bridging the gap between rapid urbanisation and sustainable development.Several interconnected concepts shape the development of the notion of smart and sustainable urbanism in the Global South. One of the most relevant and influential ideas is the notion of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). According to EKC, pollution levels will drop along with the development of nations and their transition into more technologically advanced forms that benefit from environmental policies (Abdi et al., 2025;Sarkodie & Strezov, 2019). In the context of smart cities, this highlights the importance of technological innovation and governance reforms in balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability. Urban governance theories have been transformed considerably over time. The movement from Old Public Administration (OPA) to New Public Management (NPM) and later New Public Service (NPS) reflects a stronger focus on transparency, efficiency, collaboration, and citizen participation in governance processes (Meijer & Bolívar, 2016). These approaches highlight that successful smart city development relies not only on technological advancement but also on strong institutions and inclusive governance structures.In addition, the Diffusion of Innovations (DoI) theory explains how technological innovations spread across institutions and societies, while the Resource-Based View (RBV) highlights how strategic capabilities and resources influence organisational transformation (Egba et al., 2026;Nam & Pardo, 2011). Together, these frameworks help explain why some cities are more successful than others in adopting digital technologies and integrating them into governance and service delivery systems.Recent smart city scholarship also increasingly draws on sustainability transition theory and complex adaptive systems thinking, which view cities as interconnected systems shaped by social, technological, environmental, and economic interactions (Batty et al., 2012;Bibri & Krogstie, 2017). These perspectives are particularly relevant in the Global South, where urban systems are often characterised by rapid change, informality, and infrastructure constraints.Synergistic Effects of the Digital Economy (China) Yuan ( 2025) explores how the digital economy shapes urban green development across 280 Chinese cities. The study shows that digitalisation strongly supports green innovation, especially when paired with effective environmental governance. Infrastructure initiatives like "Broadband China" also encourage cooperation between cities and help ease environmental pressures linked to traditional industrial models (Yuan, 2025).Abdi et al. ( 2025) examine how clean energy and digitalisation affect environmental sustainability across 38 Sub-Saharan African countries. Their findings show that renewable energy helps reduce ecological footprints, while rapid urbanisation and industrialisation still place growing pressure on the environment. Digitalisation, however, stands out as an important tool for improving how resources are managed (Abdi et al., 2025).Kumar et al. ( 2025) use the DEMATEL method to identify what drives effective smart city governance. They find that digital infrastructure is the strongest influencing factor in urban transformation. At the same time, services like e-consultation depend on other systems being in place first, highlighting the need for phased and well-planned implementation (Kumar et al., 2025).Zvaita & Shava (2026) explore the gap between policy and practice in South African municipalities. Their review shows that technology alone does not improve accountability. Instead, outcomes depend on political commitment, enforcement, and strong institutions. They also stress the importance of accessible tools like WhatsApp and USSD to ensure that lowincome communities are not left behind (Zvaita & Shava, 2026).El-Hajj (2026) proposes a LightGBM-based framework for urban prediction tasks that performs well even on low-cost devices like Raspberry Pi. The model achieves strong accuracy in forecasting air quality and traffic congestion, showing that advanced analytics can be made accessible even in resource-limited cities (El-Hajj, 2026).Egba et al. ( 2026) study how AI, digitalisation, and renewable energy can be combined in Nigeria's public sector. They propose the Integrated Smart Governance Transformation (ISGT) Model and the FIREs-TIDTPS framework. A key takeaway is that solving energy shortages is essential for successful digital governance, with renewable energy forming a critical foundation (Egba et al., 2026).Overall, the studies show that smart city development in the Global South is not simply about adopting advanced technologies. Rather, it depends on how digital systems, renewable energy infrastructure, and governance reforms are integrated to address complex urban challenges. Across different regional contexts, the findings consistently demonstrate that sustainability is strengthened when technological innovation is combined with institutional capacity, inclusive governance, and long-term planning.The contribution of this Research Topic lies in bringing together evidence from multiple regions to show how smart city development can be adapted to the realities of the Global South, where infrastructure limitations, inequality, and governance challenges remain significant. Its novelty stems from the integration of perspectives on digital governance, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, and urban sustainability within a single multidisciplinary discussion. By linking technological innovation with governance and sustainability transitions, the studies provide practical and theoretical insights that support the achievement of more resilient, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable cities aligned with SDG 11.
Citer ce document
Accès au document
Texte intégral en lecture en ligne, réservé aux abonnés SPHAERO et aux membres de l'institution. Se connecter
Voir l'article sur le site de la revueStatistiques
Consultations : 1
Téléchargements : 0