article · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Abstract Smart City initiatives have emerged as a dominant policy response to the dual challenges of urbanisation and climate change, promising data-driven environmental efficiency and enhanced sustainability. However, this systematic review identifies a critical paradox: the digital technologies intended to universalise green outcomes are simultaneously reinforcing the Digital Divide, thereby compromising both the equity and the holistic efficacy of sustainable urban programmes. Drawing upon environmental justice theory and the capability approach, this review evaluates global evidence across three domains: infrastructural access and energy equity, data literacy and participatory engagement, and policy design for socio-economic inclusion. The findings demonstrate that disparities in broadband access, digital competencies, and the affordability of smart technologies produce uneven distributions of environmental benefits. These patterns disproportionately advantage higher socio-economic groups while systematically excluding vulnerable populations from the efficiency gains and environmental quality improvements associated with Smart City projects. The analysis further reveals that without stringent, human-centric policies mandating universal digital inclusion and addressing what this paper terms the "Green Digital Premium," urban sustainability efforts risk exacerbating, rather than ameliorating, environmental inequality. Such outcomes would prioritise techno-centric solutions over equitable climate action, thereby undermining the dual objectives of environmental protection and social justice. The review concludes by proposing an integrated policy framework that embeds digital equity within climate resilience strategies, ensuring that Smart City initiatives advance inclusive sustainability. Keywords: Smart Cities, Digital Divide, Green Outcomes, Environmental Justice, Sustainability, Capability Approach, Smart Grids, Digital Inclusion, Comparative Review, Urban Governance
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DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19732252
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