Cartografando as Smart Cities: análise geral e perspectivas para o Sul Global

Abstract

The evolution of technology as a concept related to the digital field has generated consequences in various spheres of society. Added to this, and also as a result of it, the deepening of globalization, new forms of imperialism/colonialism based on data and the establishment of neoliberalism as an ideology of life, in addition to economics and politics, has profoundly transformed the world's social dynamics. In the urban context, there is the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) such as Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) linked to the concept of Smart City. The question is: How have technology, data and the global context influenced urban dynamics? In order to begin to answer this question, a study was carried out on the subject of Smart Cities in two main fields: the academic field, through a literature review based on articles, and the corporate/market field, through rankings. In a complementary way, understanding that the two aforementioned approaches can raise questions and that they do not exhaust the narratives surrounding the topic, two cities considered Smart Cities are analytically compared: Belo Horizonte and Wuhan. The context chosen is intended to tie together the geopolitical concepts dealt with and the information found in the articles and rankings. Finally, it points out how cities, through planning and the use of technology, can, instead of simply integrating into control networks dictated by Big Tech, be an instrument in the construction of sovereignty, in the formation of South-South partnerships, as well as inducing development for the construction of a Multipolar World.