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towards more effective use of technologies during 2020. Cities have the opportunity to build on
this experience, and the knowledge that has been gained.

3.3.3 Equality

One of the concerns related to smart cities is that research shows that some smart initiatives have
increased inequality in cities by focusing on the needs of an elite, by implementing systems with
inherent biases, or by not engaging widely enough with the city stakeholders who are impacted
by the initiatives. The New Urban Agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
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both highlight the importance of creating smart and accessible cities that benefit all of their
residents. Cities working towards being smart need to be aware of this and to actively seek out
smart interventions that support inclusion, diversity and equality.

Cooperation and collaboration between the various stakeholders in a city are key for the success
of smart interventions. It is important to take a holistic approach towards smart city agendas,
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considering the concerns of inhabitants, institutions, systemic structures and operations. Such
‘comprehensive decision-making’ requires cooperation and careful communication. 63

Technology can enable inclusion. For example, technology can facilitate communication between
residents and the city, making it possible to come up with appropriate solutions to local problems.
Smart technologies can be used to address some of the needs of differently-abled people. However,
smart interventions need to be culturally appropriate, so that they can be integrated into local urban
identity and culture. Cities need to seek out solutions that are flexible and can be adapted to
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their circumstances.

The World Development Report 2016 on Digital Dividends notes that acceptance of technologies
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is paramount for cities in the initial stages of integrating smart technologies. Understanding and
acceptance of technologies should be monitored within the city to ensure that city and the city’s
occupants are on the same page and satisfied with developments. For this reason, cities need to
invest in their social infrastructure to ensure that smart initiatives succeed.

Case 5: Digital literacy and access

The problem

For the residents of Johannesburg, in South Africa, to participate in the smart city, they needed to
have access to the Internet and the skills to be able to use online resources. Learning to use online
resources is easy once one is able to get connected and search for information. The problem in
Johannesburg is that Internet penetration is low (estimated at 53.7% for South Africa in 2018). Few
houses have Internet access and mobile data is expensive. One gigabyte of data costs seven times
more in South Africa than in Egypt and nearly three times more than in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria. 66

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