Sustainability and urban innovation: Obstacles and perspectives in the energy transition in smart cities

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v14i10.49748

Keywords:

Urban innovation, Energy transition, Smart cities, Sandbox, Sustainability.

Abstract

The objective of this article is to understand the main challenges and opportunities that permeate the energy transition in smart cities, with a focus on Brazilian experiences of urban sandboxes. The methodology adopts a qualitative approach, with a literature review on urban innovation, energy transition, smart cities and urban sandboxes, in addition to the analysis of public policy documents and innovation programs in Brazil and in other countries, with an emphasis on the impacts of urban sandboxes and on how these experiences have driven innovation in sectors such as electric mobility, smart public lighting and energy monitoring. It is concluded that experimental environments, such as urban sandboxes, can be a strategic tool to accelerate the energy transition in cities; integrating innovative energy technologies within flexible regulatory contexts enables agile responses to urban challenges and promotes a more resilient and sustainable future.

References

ABDI – Agência Brasileira de Desenvolvimento Industrial. (2021). Sandbox para cidades inteligentes. ABDI.

Agyemang, G., Kyeremeh, E., & Osei, K. (2020). Community engagement in renewable energy projects: Barriers and opportunities. Journal of Sustainable Development, 13(4), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.5539/jsd.v13n4p45

Almeida, M. E., & Fernandes, T. C. (2022). Cidades inteligentes e governança urbana: Uma análise da implementação em capitais brasileiras. Revista Brasileira de Gestão Urbana, 17(3), 87–102.

Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas. (2021). ABNT NBR ISO 37120:2021 — Cidades e comunidades sustentáveis: Indicadores para serviços urbanos e qualidade de vida. ABNT.

Baccarne, B., Mechant, P., & Schuurman, D. (2014). Urban living labs: Experimenting with collaborative innovation in smart city development. Journal of Innovation Management, 2(1), 15–25.

Bibri, S. E. (2021). Data-driven smart sustainable cities of the future: State-of-the-art review. Sustainable Futures, 3, 100047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2021.100047

Bibri, S. E. (2021). A novel model for data-driven smart sustainable cities of the future: The institutional transformations required for balancing and advancing the three goals of sustainability. Energy Informatics, 4(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42162-021-00138-8

Brasil. (2004). Lei nº 10.973, de 2 de dezembro de 2004 (Lei de Inovação). Diário Oficial da União.

Brasil. (2018). Lei nº 13.709, de 14 de agosto de 2018 (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais). Diário Oficial da União.

Brasil. (2019). Lei nº 13.874, de 20 de setembro de 2019 (Lei da Liberdade Econômica). Diário Oficial da União.

Brasil. (2021). Lei Complementar nº 182, de 1º de junho de 2021 (Marco Legal das Startups). Diário Oficial da União.

Bridge, G., & Gailing, L. (2020). New energy spaces: Towards a geographical political economy of energy transition. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 52(6), 1037–1050. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X20939570

Broto, V. C. (2020). Climate urbanism: Towards a critical research agenda. WIREs Climate Change, 11(4), e645. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.645

Bulkeley, H., Marvin, S., & Voytenko Palgan, Y. (2016). Urban living labs: Governing urban sustainability transitions. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 22, 13–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2017.02.003

CAF – Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina. (2024). La transición energética de América Latina y el Caribe: Una oportunidad para el desarrollo sostenible. https://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2340

Castan Broto, V., Robin, E., & While, A. (Eds.). (2020). Climate urbanism: Towards a critical research agenda. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53386-1

Castells, M. (2010). The rise of the network society (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.

CASTELLS, Manuel. A Sociedade em Rede. 11 ed. São Paulo: Paz e Terra, 2008. pp. ISBN

Castro, N. de. (2022). O futuro das distribuidoras de energia elétrica. GESEL/UFRJ. https://gesel.ie.ufrj.br/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Castro_2022_11_07.pdf

CEPAL. (2023). Transición energética justa y sostenible en América Latina y el Caribe. CEPAL. https://www.cepal.org/sites/default/files/news/files/cepal_alc_transicion_energetica.pdf

Chesbrough, H. (2003). Open innovation: The new imperative for creating and profiting from technology. Harvard Business School Press.

Creswell, J. W. (2010). Projeto de pesquisa: Métodos qualitativo, quantitativo e misto (2ª ed.; Trad. M. Lopes). Artmed.

Evans, J., Karvonen, A., & Raven, R. (Eds.). (2016). The experimental city. Routledge.

Evans, J., Karvonen, A., & Raven, R. (2019). Smart and sustainable cities? Pipedreams, practicalities and possibilities. Local Environment, 24(7), 557–564. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2019.1624701

Geels, F. W. (2011). The multi-level perspective on sustainability transitions: Responses to seven criticisms. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 1(1), 24–40.

Goldemberg, J., & Lucon, O. (2010). Energy, environment and development (2nd ed.). Earthscan/Routledge.

International Energy Agency. (2021). Net zero by 2050: A roadmap for the global energy sector. IEA. https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050

International Organization for Standardization. (2018). ISO 37120:2018 — Sustainable cities and communities: Indicators for city services and quality of life. ISO.

Leite, C., & Awad, J. C. M. (2012). Cidades sustentáveis, cidades inteligentes. Bookman.

Luque-Ayala, A., & Silver, J. (Eds.). (2016). Energy, power and protest on the urban grid: Geographies of the electric city. Routledge.

Markard, J., Raven, R., & Truffer, B. (2012). Sustainability transitions: An emerging field of research and its prospects. Research Policy, 41(6), 955–967. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2012.02.013

Meadowcroft, J. (2009). What about the politics? Sustainable development, transition management, and long-term energy transitions. Policy Sciences, 42(4), 323–340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11077-009-9097-z

OECD. (2020). Regulatory sandboxes and innovation. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/innovation/regulatory-sandboxes.htm

Ofgem. (2021). Energy Regulation Sandbox (v2.0): Guidance. Office of Gas and Electricity Markets. https://www.ofgem.gov.uk

Pereira, A. S., et al. (2018). Metodologia da pesquisa científica. Editora UFSM.

Pérez, A., Oliveira, L., & Ribeiro, T. (2021). Smart cities e sustentabilidade: O papel do mercado de carbono. Journal of Urban Sustainability, 7(1), 45–60.

Prefeitura Municipal de Foz do Iguaçu. (2020, 23 junho). Decreto nº 28.244/2020 — Programa Sandbox. Prefeitura Municipal de Foz do Iguaçu.

Recife (Município). (2022, 1 abril). Decreto nº 35.511/2022 — Recife Living Labs (EITA Labs). Prefeitura do Recife.

Rother, E. T. (2007). Revisão sistemática x revisão narrativa. Acta Paulista de Enfermagem, 20(2), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0103-21002007000200001

São Paulo (Município). (2023, 12 julho). Decreto nº 62.561/2023 — Regulamenta a Lei nº 17.879/2022 (Programa Sampa Sandbox). Prefeitura do Município de São Paulo.

Seto, K. C., Dhakal, S., Bigio, A., Blanco, H., Delgado, G. C., Dewar, D., … Ürge-Vorsatz, D. (2014). Human settlements, infrastructure and spatial planning. In Climate change 2014: Mitigation of climate change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the IPCC (Chap. 12). Cambridge University Press. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg3/human-settlements-infrastructure-and-spatial-planning/

Veloso, Á., Fonseca, F., & Ramos, R. (2024). Insights from smart city initiatives for urban sustainability and contemporary urbanism. Smart Cities, 7(6), 3188–3209. https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities7060124

Published

2025-10-19

Issue

Section

Engineerings

How to Cite

Sustainability and urban innovation: Obstacles and perspectives in the energy transition in smart cities. Research, Society and Development, [S. l.], v. 14, n. 10, p. e120141049748, 2025. DOI: 10.33448/rsd-v14i10.49748. Disponível em: https://www.rsdjournal.org/rsd/article/view/49748. Acesso em: 9 dec. 2025.