Smart cities and their settings in the Global South: Informality as a marker

Abstract

Smart cities have gained increased traction worldwide. This commentary situates smart cities in the context of Southern urban settings. I demystify urban informality and recast informality as a valuable marker in the study of smart cities. Reiterating Prasad et al.'s appeal to explore the centrality of informality for smart city planning and development in the Global South, I contend that informality holds epistemic value, particularly in highlighting smart city diversity, heterogeneity, and incompleteness. Accordingly, I advocate for a critical lens and analysis that fosters a more open and inclusive understanding of the intersection of informality and smart urbanism.