A Smart Right to the City—Grounding Corporate Storytelling and Questioning Smart Urbanism

This study challenges the prevailing notion of smart urbanism, arguing that true 'smartness' lies not in digital infrastructure but in social justice and sustainability. It introduces a 'smart right to the city,' grounded in Henri Lefebvre's framework, which critiques technocapitalist approaches that prioritize corporate interests over equitable urban development. Using Graz, Austria, as a case study, the research examines waste and mobility management strategies, revealing them as spatial and technical fixes that perpetuate inequality without addressing root causes. The paper advocates for alternatives that center on the everyday needs of all inhabitants, emphasizing use value, participation, and appropriation as key components of sustainable urban futures.

Strüver, A., Saltiel, R., Schlitz, N., Hohmann, B., Höflehner, T., & Grabher, B. (2021). A Smart Right to the City—Grounding Corporate Storytelling and Questioning Smart Urbanism. Sustainability, 13(17), 9590. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179590