Sustainable Urbanization: The Role of Smart Cities in Combating Climate Change

Abstract

Climate change has been hastened by the rapid urbanization where over half of world population is living in urban areas with the augmented emissions of greenhouse gases, energy use, garbage, and improper utilization of land. The solution to these problems has become smart cities: a transition towards automatization of digital technologies, green energy, sustainable transport and citizen-oriented government architecture to build self-directed and resilient urbanization. The following paper explains how smart cities will contribute to mitigating climate impacts and inclusive development. The successes reported in the global case studies in terms of emission reduction and resilience have been accompanied by the digital divide, threats to cybersecurity and high prices. The evidence shows that smart cities are pivotal to the achievement of the UN Sustainable development goals specifically sustainable cities and climate action. However, their utility is subject to the inclusive government, safety of information, and the related facts at the local level. The paper concludes that smart cities must go beyond technology and incorporate equity, participation and sustainability. Future research must address AI-powered climate modelling, circular economy modelling and nature-based technology, and how they can be improved to achieve sustainable urban futures.