Smart governance strategies and their relationships with SDGs in three Latin American cities

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the strategic decisions, especially those focused on smart governance, that have been implemented by the cities of Buenos Aires (Argentina), Medellín (Colombia) and Mexico City (Mexico) and how they have impacted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative approach and a descriptive scope, this manuscript follows a multiple case study methodology that was primarily based on the analysis of archival records and documentation using pattern-matching and cross-case synthesis as analytical techniques. Findings Observed cities share three main characteristics when implementing smart governance strategies linked to SDG 16: technology-based solutions to solve recent and long-lasting societal problems; broad, diverse and active citizen participation; and a socio-technical approach toward smart governance and SDG 16. Research limitations/implications This paper points out the linkages between smart governance and SDGs in emerging markets’ smart cities. The findings of this study indicate the need to promote socio-technical approaches – rather than merely technical perspectives – to achieve SDG 16. Hence, citizen participation, open government and co-creation initiatives are key to the promotion of more inclusive and solid institutions. Originality/value The most important contribution of this study is to identify the strategic initiatives developed by three leading smart cities in Latin America from the smart governance point of view and their relationship with the SDGs, which is useful because it contributes to expanding our understanding of smart governance from practical experiences.

Guest editorial: Special issue introduction: strategic management in Latin America: exploring a VUCA context within a change of era

“…However, the resilience cultivated by some firms, governments and entrepreneurs that have devised solutions in challenging environments has been noteworthy (e.g. Flores et al , 2023; Jurado-Zambrano et al , 2023; Ramírez-Solís et al , 2021).…”

Special section – Editorial: Sustainable Development Goals in IberoamericaEditorial para sección especial: Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible en IberoaméricaEditorial para a secção especial: Objectivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável na Ibero-América

“…The research objective of Jurado-Zambrano et al (2023) is to describe the strategic decisions of smart city initiatives in Latin America related to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). In doing so, the authors contribute to the debate about how smart cities from developing regions plan and implement sustainable smart governance structures.…”

New Insights into the Research Landscape on the Application of Artificial Intelligence in Sustainable Smart Cities: A Bibliometric Mapping and Network Analysis Approach

“…Typically, AI is designed around machine learning (ML) algorithms or techniques (such as decision trees and neural networks) that utilise numerical techniques to enable computers to learn and improve their performance using pre-imputed data (Pereira et al, 2020;Sánchez-Morales et al, 2020). Consequently, AI-based systems that can perform simple to complex tasks have soared with applications in various sectors such as transportation (Abduljabbar et al, 2019;Iyer, 2021), finance (Buckley et al, 2021;Cao, 2022), business (Enholm et al, 2022;Loureiro et al, 2021), manufacturing (Chien et al, 2020;Zeba et al, 2021), and others. In recent years, there have been growing calls for the application of AI in tackling socio-economic and environmental problems relating to sanitation, energy, healthcare, and housing, among other things.…”