Climate-intelligent cities and resilient urbanisation: challenges and opportunities for information research

Abstract

Cities are critical in climate actions as they constitute the main source of greenhouse gas emissions. Climate-Intelligent Cities are digitally enabled cities that are climate first and climate compatible. The journey towards zero emissions calls for resilient urbanisation to weather the climate shocks as well as energy shocks that cities are bound to encounter. Based on the authors’ experiences and observations from research on digital sustainability and smart cities, this article highlights four information research themes that can contribute to the development: energy and resource optimization, climate-neutral digital economy, digital citizen engagement, and intelligent governance. Specific research questions are also identified. In conclusion, all major streams of information research ranging from information systems acceptance and IT governance to Fintech applications can contribute meaningfully to mitigating climate change. Research opportunities are illustrated with green developments and examples in the city state of Singapore.