Smart Cities: Research remains fragmented and technology-driven rather than people-centred

On the sixth anniversary of the United Nations’s 2030 Agenda, it is crucial to assess the progress made and the challenges that remain, particularly in advancing sustainable urban development. New research reveals that the development of smart cities remains fragmented and continues to be driven predominantly by cutting-edge technologies—such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things—. This is happening at the expense of greater integration with neuroscience, urban spaces, and society. It is very important that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda are not overlooked. The study, carried out by academics from the European University of Brain and Technology (NeurotechEU), argues that smart city development must better align with the SDGs by more effectively integrating neuroscience and neurotechnology with social and environmental challenges. 

This work represents a significant step towards understanding how neuroscience and neurotechnological solutions can contribute to more inclusive, resilient, and human-centred urban development. As the study's lead author, Begüm Özkaynak, notes: "This knowledge is of great value to policymakers when establishing areas and disciplines for intervention." The authors suggest that neurotechnological interventions should be designed with the SDGs in mind, particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education); 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy); 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure); 10 (Reduced Inequalities); 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities); 13 (Climate Action); and 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). 

Published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, the paper also emphasizes the need to democratize technology and integrate ethical principles into its deployment. Accordingly, smart city development must move beyond siloed, tech-centric models to embrace transdisciplinary approaches that promote hybrid intelligence integrating neuroscience, technology, society, and urban space to address neurochallenges—defined in the study as applying the principles of cognition and neuroscience to comprehend and anticipate human behaviour and needs in urban environments—in a context-aware, human-centred way. This necessitates better interdisciplinary collaboration and the active participation of diverse stakeholders in the co-production of knowledge, where synergies among education, research, technological innovation, and societal innovation are genuinely built.  

For their study, as Özkaynak explains, the Alliance team members conducted a bibliometric analysis of over 27,000 articles published in Scopus between 2018 and 2022. Despite the vast number of publications on smart cities, neuroscience emerged as one of the least represented disciplines. Yet the authors argue that it holds significant potential, particularly when integrated with fields such as urban planning, engineering, social sciences, and environmental sciences, to enhance well-being, inclusivity, and sustainability in urban life.

This work was made possible thanks to funding from the European University of Brain and Technology (NeurotechEU) and NeurotechEU Research and Innovation (NeurotechRI) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 grant agreement. Read the full article here: doi: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1279668