The Contribution of Agroecology to Smart Cities and Different Settlement Contexts in South Africa—An Analytical Review

This paper supports the idea of agroecology playing an integral role in development ‘smart cities’ and its application in different settlement contexts in South Africa. As alluded to in the People-Centered Smart Cities framework, the application of the smart cities approach can be extended to various settlement contexts. This paper promotes ‘the smart city’ concept in different contexts, including rural and small settlement environments, incorporating agroecology, a paradigm which guides us towards building sustainable and equitable urban environments. This approach can significantly contribute to the improved and more resilient design and development of human settlements. The Preferred Reporting Items for Reviews and Meta-analysis were employed to analyze primary and secondary data sources, thereby formulating descriptive and analytical themes around agroecology and smart cities. This paper utilized 54 articles, offering a robust foundation for the paper’s analysis and discussions. Additionally, the paper underscores the adherence to policy and legislative spaces for smart city strategy-led budgeting. It advocates for robust financial policies and long-term development financial strategies aligned with several the Sustainable Development Goals, but especially SGD 11, which is to create inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and habitats. The construction of smart campuses, smart rural settlements, and smart school programs is demonstrated by the Centre for Ecological Intelligence at the University of Johannesburg’s food systems hub, the Phumulani rural agrivillage, and the Eastern Cape and Tshwane food security school programs. These showcase projects act as compelling models illustrating how the principles of smart cities can be applied to diverse settlement contexts.