Section Article

Urban Marginality in the Age of Smart Cities: Negotiating Livelihood Identity and Access to Public Resources
Author(s): Prof Diya Rajput

Abstract
The emergence of smart cities has transformed the language and practice of urban development in contemporary India. Digital infrastructure data-driven governance intelligent transport surveillance systems and technology-enabled public services are increasingly presented as instruments of efficient and inclusive urban transformation. However the benefits of smart urbanisation are not distributed equally. Informal workers low-income households street vendors migrants and residents of informal settlements frequently experience limited access to public resources secure livelihoods housing infrastructure and meaningful participation in urban decision-making. This study examines urban marginality in the context of India’s smart-city transformation by focusing on livelihood security identity spatial belonging and access to public resources. Drawing upon secondary literature policy documents and recent empirical studies the paper argues that technological modernisation can reproduce existing social and spatial inequalities when informal communities are excluded from planning processes. The study concludes that genuinely inclusive smart cities require participatory governance recognition of informal livelihoods equitable infrastructure accessible digital services and stronger institutional mechanisms for marginalised citizens.