Smart Cities and Infrastructure Development: A Case Study of the Gauteng City Region in South Africa

Mashabela, Boy Johannes and Gumbo, Trynos and Mahachi, Jeffrey (2024) Smart Cities and Infrastructure Development: A Case Study of the Gauteng City Region in South Africa. KEEP ON PLANNING FOR THE REAL WORLD. Climate Change calls for Nature-based Solutions and Smart Technologies. Proceedings of REAL CORP 2024, 29th International Conference on Urban Development, Regional Planning and Information Society. pp. 481-491. ISSN 2521-3938

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Abstract

Infrastructure development is a critical enabler of socio-economic development and contributes to raising the quality of life through the creation of social amenities and consequently contribute to macro-economic stability. Smart city has recently become a buzz concept that leads the way to an inclusive and democratic urban future planning and urban growth. In South Africa, generally, the communities are in search of urban prospects and as a result are disadvantaged as an unintended consequence. This is primarily due to a lack of bulk infrastructure services such as sanitation and water treatment, which is unable to cope thereof, necessitating Smart City to become a high-impact, compact, complex, mixed-use urban development that is designed to deliver urban prospects to a more marginalized periphery. Whilst various components and processes which play a vital role in developing or creating smart cities have been discussed in detail over the years, there is still a need to demonstrate the role and interventions towards the economic development of the City of Johannesburg, particularly in urban areas in the Global South. Consequently, this paper explores the impact of Smart City initiatives on socio-economic development in the greater Gauteng City Region, South Africa. The work adopts a phenological case study research design and a qualitative approach to gather data through a series of desktop research and literature reviews. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis as a research method to reveal themes on inclusivity and access and Excel software package was applied to obtain descriptive statistical results. Also, a systematic review of the literature to analyze Smart City strategies embedded in the spatial development framework. Findings reveal the crucial role of effective urban development planning in the economic infrastructure value chain. Successful Smart City implementation contributes significantly to economic growth, diversification, and improved access to modern technology. The paper concludes further that smart city initiatives and state investment in infrastructure contribute largely to economic growth as a benefit, as well as diversification of the economy, thereby providing access to modern technology. The study recommends an inclusive and integrated policy framework for resource allocation aligned with growth and development in Smart City initiatives, ensuring a cohesive approach.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Economic Growth Investment, Infrastructure Development, Smart Cities, Social Amenities, Spatial and Urban Planning
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA76 Computer software
Depositing User:	REAL CORP Administrator
Date Deposited:	29 Apr 2024 08:11
Last Modified:	10 May 2024 09:17
URI:	http://repository.corp.at/id/eprint/1114

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