This book reframes smart city development by moving beyond efficiency-driven models to prioritize equity, inclusion, and democratic participation. It examines how digital technologies—AI, IoT, and participatory platforms—can serve as catalysts for social justice and entrepreneurial innovation when designed with communities at their core. The volume challenges prevailing paradigms that emphasize data-driven control and infrastructural speed over access, representation, and human well-being. By positioning technological advancement, entrepreneurial practice, and social inclusion as mutually reinforcing imperatives, the book offers actionable pathways toward cities that are not only smart but also socially just and human-centered.

This book reframes smart city development by moving beyond efficiency-driven models to prioritize equity, inclusion, and democratic participation. It examines how digital technologies—AI, IoT, and participatory platforms—can serve as catalysts for social justice and entrepreneurial innovation when designed with communities at their core. The volume challenges prevailing paradigms that emphasize data-driven control and infrastructural speed over access, representation, and human well-being. By positioning technological advancement, entrepreneurial practice, and social inclusion as mutually reinforcing imperatives, the book offers actionable pathways toward cities that are not only smart but also socially just and human-centered.