Smart Cities Movement in BRICS
Smart Cities Movement in BRICS
Editor: Rumi Aijaz
Publisher: Observer Research Foundation (ORF) & Global Policy Journal
Publication Year: 2017
Series: GP–ORF Series
About this Book
Smart Cities Movement in BRICS, edited by Rumi Aijaz, is a significant contribution to the growing literature on smart urban development within the BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. These countries account for nearly 40 percent of the global urban population, making their approaches to smarter, more sustainable, and more inclusive cities especially consequential for the future of global urbanism.
The volume is based on a major conference held in Jaipur in August 2016, bringing together over 30 experts across government, academia, think tanks, civil society, and the private sector. Their papers collectively examine how BRICS nations conceptualize and implement smart city initiatives amidst rapid urbanization, growing inequalities, public safety challenges, environmental pressures, and the need for robust digital governance.
The book explores seven broad thematic domains: policy and governance, research methodologies, financial resources, public participation, public safety, public services, and environmental sustainability. Through country-specific analyses and comparative insights, the contributors highlight both pioneering innovations—such as China’s large-scale pilot projects, Moscow’s digital engagement systems, and Brazil’s interactive social vulnerability mapping—and persisting structural barriers such as inadequate planning, insufficient data systems, unequal digital access, and institutional fragmentation.
A central message cutting across the chapters is that smart cities cannot rely solely on technology. Instead, building smart, liveable cities requires strong governance, inclusive participation, sustainable financing, and sensitivity to local contexts. Ultimately, the book underscores that achieving smart urban transformation is a shared responsibility among state and non-state actors, guided by political commitment and collaborative innovation.
Contents
Editor’s Note
1. Policy Recommendations for Making Smart Cities
Rumi Aijaz
Policy and Governance
2. China Smart City Pilot and Financing
Jijun Chen
3. Urban Development in Brazil and the Challenge of Building Smart Cities
Ana Paula Bruno
4. China’s Experience with Smart Cities
Zhenqiang Xu
5. LIVED Shanghai and the Development of Chinese Smart City
Yang Li
Governance Research Methods
6. The Digital Life of Key Russian Cities: Current State and Dynamics
Vladimir Korovkin
7. Technological Platforms for Intra-Urban Planning and Social Participation in Public Policies
Barbara Oliveira Marguti
8. Governance for Smart Cities: A Spatially-bounded Economic Agent-based Lab (SEAL)
Bernardo Alves Furtado, Isaque Daniel Rocha Eberhardt, Alexandre Messa
9. Drivers of Urban Regeneration and Human Resources in Brazilian Cities
Daniel Da Mata
Augmenting Financial Resources
10. Financing Smart Cities in India
V. N. Alok and Ashutosh Vashist
Facilitating People’s Participation
11. Public Engagement in Governance
Kedibone Phago
12. Smart City of Moscow: Human and Finance Resource Mobilisation
Andrey Belozerov
Guaranteeing Public Safety
13. Community Policing and Internet Activism in Rio de Janeiro
Rute Imanishi Rodrigues
14. Exploring Security Options for Women in Smart Cities: A Multi-pronged Approach
Kanchan Gandhi
Improving Access to Public Services
15. Smart Facility Location Planning for Smart Cities
Cheri Green and Gerbrand Mans
16. The ‘Vale-Transporte’ Policy: Transport Financing for Low-income Workers in Brazil
Carlos Henrique Ribeiro de Carvalho
Maintaining Environmental Sustainability
17. Biophilic Cities: Planning for Sustainable and Smart Urban Environments
Alessio Russo and Giuseppe T. Cirella
18. International Friendship Park as a Symbol of Good Neighbourly Relations
Alexey V. Parnyakov and Valery A. Savostenko
About the Authors
Conference Participants
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