Sub-Themes > Track 3: Future Cities - Alternative Governance and Innovative Technologies for Sustainable and Smart Cities

Future Cities: Alternative Governance and Innovative Technologies for Sustainable and Smart Cities

Convenors/Track chairs:

•  Henry Wissink, School of Management, IT and Governance, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
•  Rudi Kimmie, TSIBA School of Business Administration, Cape Town, South Africa.

Affiliated Journal: Seminal and thrilling contributions will be invited to a Special Issue for
Journal of Contemporary Management

Description: Modern and often largely overpopulated or dense cities are increasingly becoming problematic, in particular in the developing world, and specifically in Africa. Cities are set to be the areas where 66% of citizens will live in 2050. Cities are currently faced with many challenges, as highlighted by a recent UN Report, entitled: The Weight of Cities (2018). These challenges according to the report will force us to devise new strategies for 21st Century urbanization; how we use resources that are normally critical for the maintenance of cities, and how we devise new tools, technologies and information based inter-connected interventions that can assist in improved resource management. Without good governance and management the existing problems like pollution, urban congestion, poor or the lack of developing and maintaining infrastructure and poor provision of services, will lead to the increase of these dire conditions. Consequently, this all leads to the exacerbation of marginalization of the poor and desperate job-seekers, migrating to cities in hope of a better future. The report also emphasizes low-carbon, resource-efficient, socially just cities. The monitoring of the flow of resources entering and leaving the cities, and the development of resource-efficient strategies. In monitoring growth and new developments, the planning of cities has to consider to “compact growth” in order to evade rapidly and uncontrolled urban sprawl and resulting squalor. In particular, the energy and water wastage that result from such uncontrolled and unplanned urbanization activities should be a priority. These challenges all culminate into the notion of establishing a new model for city governance and politics that supports imaginative business propositions and experimentation. This theme will focus on the challenges that these demands will make on the governance and management of future cities, and also considers and evaluates alternative forms of governance, and the potential of Special Economic Zones (SEZs). Will these models be a consideration for 21st Century African urban reconstruction and development?

We encourage contributions in the following related areas of this theme track: 

• New models for governance of cities of the future (free, private and charter cities)
• Experimentation with Special Economic Zones (Case Studies)
• Sustainable urban livelihoods
• Disruptive and innovative technologies and cities of the future
• Smart cities and their contribution to the urban dilemma
• Resilient cities and strategies to ensure stable and sustainable urban environments
• The future of the aerotropolis concept as a model for future smart cities
• Cities in the developmental world - can we turn them into sustainable entities
• Saving cities from decay - innovation solutions to city slums.
• Art, technology and cities of the future.
• Future cities and the growing concerns for the environment (climate change and pollution).

References:

Bell, T.W. (2013). Want to Own a City? Foundation for Economic Education, August 14. Retrieved from https://fee.org/articles/want-to-own-a-city/

Bell, T.W. (2013). Can We Correct Democracy? Foundation for Economic Education, June 4. Retrieved from https://fee.org/articles/can-we-correct-democracy/

Colindres, J. (2018).Democratic Compliance: A Charter City’s Obligatiions under International Law: The case of the Honduran ZEDE regime. Centre for Innovative Governance.

Farole, T. and Gokhan, A. (2011). Special Economic Zones: Progress, Emerging Challenges and Future Direction. Washington DC, World Bank

Foresight (2016a) MK Future: 2050 Commission on city foresight journey and work plan. London: Government Office for Science.

Foresight (2016b). Future of Cities: Foresight for Cities A resource for policy-makers. Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/516443/gs-16-5-future-cities-foresight-for-cities.pdf

Gebel, T. (2018). Free Private Cities. Making Governments Compete for you. Aquila Urbis: Waldorf, Germany.

Governing Toronto Advisory Panel (GTAP). (2005). The City We Want – The Government We Need. Retrieved from www.toronto.ca/governingtoronto. City of Toronto, November 2005

Knox, P.L., & Taylor, J.T. (2000) World Cities in a World System. Cambridge University Press: New York

McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). (2018). Smart cities: Digital solutions for a more livable future.

Nyakabawo, W. (2014). The geographic designation of Special Economic Zones. TIPS Working Paper. Retrieved from http://www.tips.org.za/files/special_economic_zones_november_2014.pdf

Scheeper, C. (2012). A Case of Special Economic Zones in South Africa as a means to attract Foreign Direct Investment. University of Pretoria

United Nations (2018). UN Report on The Weight of Cities. Retrieved from https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/weight-cities