Smart Sustainable Cities Implementation in Zambia: An Investigation into the Relationship Between Political Will and Barriers to SMART Sustainable CITIES

The emergence of smart sustainable cities (SSCs) offers a potential solution to many urban development challenges, prompting various cities and nations, including Zambia, to adopt this concept. However, it is essential to recognize the significant role that politics plays in the implementation of SSCs in Zambia. This study aimed to explore the relationship between political will and the barriers to the development of SSCs in the country. Using a quantitative research method, a questionnaire survey was administered via Google Forms, gathering responses from 92 participants. The study examined the relationship between prioritized barriers and the lack of political will, employing the Kendall Tau b correlation coefficient. A positive correlation of varying significance was found between the lack of political will and the barriers to SSC implementation in Zambia. Particularly strong correlations were identified between the lack of political will and several barriers, including insufficient knowledge and information sharing, inadequate research and development funding, lack of technological capacity, limited use of information and communication technology (ICT) for environmental sustainability and energy efficiency, insufficient funding for SSC initiatives, as well as centralized decision-making processes and top-down approaches. While this study was conducted in Zambia, the findings may not significantly differ from those in other developing countries.