Introduction
Defined broadly, smart cities are policies or urban development projects that harness digital technologies to respond to the challenges and risks generated by urban growth. Smart city agendas are being promoted by private and public entities at different levels (from transnational to local) and mobilized by local governments to achieve social inclusiveness, economic growth, and sustainability. The proposed interventions – often designed in close collaboration with the private sector – range from strategies to mitigate natural disasters and the management of urban services to achieve efficiency, to the design of digital interfaces between citizens and government and between residents and urban services providers. Judging by the number of projects across the globe being advertised and developed, it is fair to say that smart cities are becoming a favored strategy and policy framework for international organizations, local and national governments, and the private sector....
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Fonseca Alfaro, C., Melgaço, L., Baeten, G. (2022). Understanding Smart Cities Through a Critical Lens. In: Brears, R.C. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Futures. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87745-3_344
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