Smart urbanism in Africa: when theories do not fit with contextual practices

Tonnarelli, Francesco; Mora, Luca

Abstract

Theories of smart urbanism have overlooked the influence of contextual factors on the conception, planning and implementation of digital transformation practices across regions. To articulate this critique, we focus on African cities and draw on a diverse range of urban and regional scholarship. We present the core assumptions advanced in the mainstream literature on smart urbanism and prove their inability to fit the organisation of African urban contexts. Three main research questions emerge from this critical examination and offer new perspectives for expanding knowledge on how smart urbanism challenges recombine with place-based governance approaches, not only in Africa, but globally.

Citation

Tonnarelli, F., & Mora, L. (in press). Smart urbanism in Africa: when theories do not fit with contextual practices. Regional Studies, https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2023.2235407

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 7, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Aug 11, 2023
• Deposit Date: Aug 11, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 11, 2023
• Print ISSN: 0034-3404
• Electronic ISSN: 1360-0591
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2023.2235407
• Keywords: smart urbanism; urban innovation; governance; digital transformation; Africa