SMART CITIES, SUSTAINABILITY, AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ WISDOM

Abstract

This article critically examines the hegemonic concept of Smart Cities, which is frequently limited to technological advancements and economic interests. Its objective is to juxtapose the Western vision of sustainability and urban progress with the wisdom of Indigenous peoples, particularly drawing from the contributions of Ailton Krenak, and with Milton Santos's critique of the urban question. This aims to construct a more inclusive and genuinely sustainable understanding of the urban future. The methodology employed articulates the analysis of geographic space as a social and political instance, as proposed by Milton Santos, with Eric Landowski's sociosemiotics. The latter is utilized to decipher the underlying discursive structures in Ailton Krenak's works (A vida não é útil, Ideias para adiar o fim do mundo, O amanhã não está à venda), allowing an exploration of how the author deconstructs Western anthropocentrism and proposes a reconfiguration of human-nonhuman relations. Key findings reveal that the predominant conception of Smart Cities, by prioritizing technology and utilitarian logic, contributes to the perpetuation of social inequalities and "mutilated citizenship," as theorized by Santos. In contrast, Krenak's Indigenous perspective challenges the techno-scientific "power-to-do" and "know-how," repositioning nature as an actant and life as an intrinsic, non-utilitarian value. A truly intelligent city, according to this articulation, would be one that recognizes the plurality of knowledges, challenges incessant production and consumption, promotes autonomy and co-responsibility with the territory, and integrates non-Western rationalities and the "institution of dreaming" as guides for equitable and resilient development. The study concludes that the integration of Indigenous wisdom and geographical critique is crucial for Smart Cities to transcend technocratic rhetoric and become environments that promote social inclusion, the ethics of life, and de-alienation.