Introduction
Bright city idea has penetrated deep into the minds of urban developers, techies, and policymakers across the globe, signaling a technological breakthrough with hope and a promise to create vibrant, economically competitive, and environmentally sustainable urban communities. It addresses the main message: The core of this concept believes in blending a highly developed technology-rich world ranging from sensors, connectivity, and data analytics at a ground level. Those who are the proponents of this new venture believe that this form of planning will provide the perfect designs for essential services like traffic management, power consumption, and public service delivery (Maalsen 2024). This literature review plan links together the four primary sources and the outside resources to perform a detailed investigation of intelligent cities. The research first applies multiple lenses of urban design, including policies, technology requirements, and economic models, in detail to fully assess the superficial and enduring benefits and obstacles that underlie intelligent cities.
Smart City Development
Innovative city principles are the primary focus of the McGuertha St Garden North case study. The work put forward by Rogers provides us with a clear picture of how smart cities can be a big aspect of mixed-use communities (Rogers, 2024). This approach leverages digital connectivity and a cohesive design strategy that incorporates a diverse array of amenities—including residential areas, a commercial town center, educational institutions, green spaces, and public transportation linkages. This model resonates with Estevez’s (et al., 2021, pp.69-99) vision of “intelligent cities,” where digital and knowledge-based infrastructures harmoniously blend with the built environment and public spaces. Such an approach suggests a shift from a technology-centric vision to a more integrated, human-centric urban development strategy.
Addressing Critiques and Ensuring Inclusivity
However, the lecture by Maalsen introduces a critical perspective, arguing that numerous innovative city initiatives have overly prioritized technological solutions, sometimes at the expense of addressing the holistic needs of citizens and the broader goal of liveability (Gilbert, 2024). A significant risk highlighted is the potential perpetuation of socioeconomic biases within the data models and algorithms that support intelligent systems. In that scenario, if the ethical frameworks are built based on prejudice regarding race, income, etc., they may unintentionally cultivate already existing inequalities. Limits of data needed for the excellent functioning of intelligent city platforms bring forward issues regarding privacy and surveillance, which are conditions and freedoms. Additionally, the corporate world is dominating the digital infrastructure, civic data, and urban services, which is a conflict over transparency and the issue of accountability from the service providers’ side if they do not care about the public interest.
Also, in agreement with these observations, Kitchin 2018 (et al. pp. 219-230) () Alert the community to be cautious against an intelligent city model that aims to take care of the market forces instead of the social objectives. This model of the economy may create a situation of segmented society and inequality, demonstrating the necessity of a point of view where technical innovations and social justice always exist in balance. Urban planning lecture expounds on the options of regulation tools, such as Local Environmental Plans (LEPs) and Development Control Plans (DCPs), as the mechanisms for minimizing the smart development industry’s potential adverse externality effects. The policies impose design standards, and when these become ineffective and fail to solve temporary problems like urban heat Islands caused by the densification of technology, the policymakers should modify them.
According to Bibri et al. ( 2023, pp. 9), the policy coordination of intelligent city technologies and environmental and social sustainability becomes the central issue when these two conceptions are interrelated. The narrative brings to the fore that intelligent cities should better all civic goals and not just come to frustrate them; it calls for the promotion of equity, resilience, and an improved way of life. Maalsen’s analysis of “innovation districts” sheds light on the ambiguous nature of these high-tech economic zones (Deakin, 2013, pp. 15-32). While they foster innovation and potentially bring high-value jobs, examples like Silicon Valley illustrate the risk of rapid gentrification, which can displace vulnerable populations. The fact that this was the case underscores the necessity of implementing holistic planning and policy solutions, e.g., affordable housing requirements, zoning incentives, and community benefits contracts, to make sure the social and economic equilibrium is preserved in current technological and economic shifts.
A participatory and inclusive vision for urban development
The wisdom gathered from the reviewed sources points to the intelligent cities’ micro approaches that could be used to design systems beyond just dynamic, participatory, and sociotechnical technologies. The systems should comprise hybrid approaches that combine new digital tools with multidimensional urban planning, focusing on outcomes that are not only socially but also economically and environmentally resilient. Authors such as and (2020, p.1852) are proponents of an interdisciplinary approach to urban development, emphasizing the need for a synergy of smart technology and social and environmentally oriented-considerations. “Urbanism by design” implies designing cities with the newest technology and their value in terms of their social living, equality, and vigor.
Cities are no strangers to creativity, innovation, and exchange, as they have always served as the points where all of these meet. Smart cities aim to improve the things mentioned above by applying modern technologies, which will help develop urban areas to be more active and environmentally friendly, along with vibrant economies. This proposal consequently requires a detailed plan of action, ensuring that those goals are also achieved in addition to technology development, human interest, and values. The authors put it aptly p.7996, Paes (et al., 2023), saying that though innovative technologies are still emerging, offering a wealth of opportunities for urban management to sustainability and economic growth, care should be taken to strike a balance by way of proper planning, policy coordination and genuine participation of the community. Policymakers would be failing in their duties if they did not consider these strategies since their absence will not only be an obstacle to the development of a productive and sustainable city but will also impede the advancement of democracy and the conservation of natural environmental progress.
The innovative city planning practice must include social impact assessments and enforcement mechanisms because this guarantee will not be possible without it. Such tools are re-qui-site for the effectiveness of digital transformation in urban environments as they provide the best understanding of the situation and are very complex. The Macarthur Gardens North project stands as the point of wisdom for achieving that while humans face the pace of technological development in urban environments, they should maintain the variety and liveliness of those human habitats. Such an essence matters when embarking on a digital journey (Wei et al., 2024, p.583). This approach has a significant advantage in the fact that communities are not just localities; they are reflections of different societies, histories, and aspirations. In this way, smart cities will be the ones in which all people’s citizens’ needs will be met and in which all people don’t feel different from others or themselves. Furthermore, these cities will be landmarks where technology serves people even more than diminishing their experience.
While intelligent city concept critiques and challenges often appear, they all show that more than digital innovation is needed to move on. It has no choice but to reconceive urban planning, putting equal effort into social well-being, as against economics and nature. Cities need to take an inclusive policy and planning approach to take advantage of technology that can ultimately make bright but also equitable and human-oriented urban spaces. This balanced approach states that the real essence of the brain of the city cannot be found only in technical setups. The real value is in improving all residents’ quality of life.
The road to smart cities is intricate and multitermed, involving planning, technology, policy, and social equity issues. The article aims to take off critical topics related to urban innovation, and it is based on quite interesting sources that give a deep insight into new urbanity. Smart cities’ evolutionary journey will bring success stories with some challenges as cities develop. The acquired wisdom will help plan future endeavors. Channels in which cities walk ahead will be embraced only if technology encourages a holistic and inclusive approach. The purpose of tech enlistment has to be aligned with the end of making the cities more livable, equitable, and sustainable for the upcoming generations.
Bibliography
Bibri, S.E., Alexandre, A., Sharifi, A. and Krogstie, J., 2023. Environmentally sustainable smart cities and their converging AI, IoT, and big data technologies and solutions: an integrated approach to an extensive literature review. Energy Informatics, 6(1), p.9.
Deakin, M., 2013. From intelligent to smart cities 1. In Smart Cities (pp. 15-32). Routledge.
Estevez, E., Cenci, K., Fillottrani, P. and Janowski, T., 2021. Review of international standards and policy guidelines for intelligent, sustainable cities. Smart Cities and Smart Governance: Towards the 22nd Century Sustainable City, pp.69-99.
Gilbert, C. (2024) Introduction to Planning in NSW [Lecture notes]. University of Sydney.
Kitchin, R., 2018. Reframing, reimagining, and remaking intelligent cities. In Creating smart cities (pp. 219-230). Routledge.
Maalsen, S. (2024) Smart Cities [Lecture notes]. University of Sydney.
Paes, V.D.C., Pessoa, C.H.M., Pagliusi, R.P., Barbosa, C.E., Argôlo, M., de Lima, Y.O., Salazar, H., Lyra, A. and de Souza, J.M., 2023. We are analyzing the challenges for future innovative and sustainable cities—sustainability, 15(10), p.7996.
Rogers, D. (2024) City Form and Development Case Study 1 — Macarthur Gardens North [Lecture notes]. University of Sydney.
Wei, Y., Yuan, H. and Li, H., 2024. Exploring the Contribution of Advanced Systems in Smart City Development for the Regeneration of Urban Industrial Heritage. Buildings, 14(3), p.583.
Yigitcanlar, T. and Cugurullo, F., 2020. The sustainability of artificial intelligence: An urbanistic viewpoint from the lens of intelligent and sustainable cities. Sustainability, 12(20), p.8548.
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