Economic Development in the Smart City

Abstract

Urban e-planning refers to the adoption of technology and related tools for spatial planning to improve efficiency and service delivery. In the Global South, this area of enquiry needs more research to generate new knowledge and enhance quality of life through actionable findings. Moreover, smart urbanism through e-planning has the potential to contribute towards addressing pervasive economic challenges such as poverty and inequality. This chapter thus applies the concept of urban e-planning to analyse economic development in the smart city within the ambit of the knowledge economy. The research is based on case studies of Cape Town in South Africa and Santiago in Chile. The largely qualitative approach utilises document and discourse analyses based on the search, appraisal, synthesis and analysis approach to make its arguments. The study proposed an e-planning conceptual framework based on the broad pillars of knowledge management, citizenship and governance, as well as planning approaches. Knowledge management entails knowledge co-production, as well as data and information management. Moreover, citizenship and governance involve digital citizenship and e-governance. Also, planning approaches comprise strategic planning, neoliberal planning, equity planning and digital urban planning. When juxtaposed against economic development, smart urbanism and the knowledge economy, Cape Town is characterised by knowledge transfer, the existence of city improvement districts and high-tech industries. These occur within the ambit of a technology oriented integrated metropolitan government. In the case of Santiago, there is research and development, patents and the attraction of greenfield foreign direct investment. These operate in the absence of a metropolitan authority due to its status as a capital city which nonetheless utilises technology tools for improved urban management. The chapter also makes recommendations on how urban e-planning can improve economic development in the smart city within the lens of the knowledge economy.