Analysis of Salvador's smart city technology masterplan (PDTCI) in the light of the ISO37122

Abstract

The rhetoric of “smart cities” has been widely disseminated in the government sphere, but its implementation often reveals contradictions between discourse and practice. Salvador's Smart City Technology Master Plan (PDTCI), launched in 2022 under the aegis of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and technical standards from the ABNT ISO 37120 series, exemplifies this paradox: although it presents itself as innovative, it reproduces a logic typical of technocratic planning. This study analyses Salvador's PDTCI, instituted by the city council in 2022, by categorising its objectives according to the thematic axes of ABNT NBR ISO 37122. The results indicate that almost 50 per cent of the objectives indicated in the plan are concentrated in the areas of Telecommunications, Transport, Education and Energy, revealing a priority emphasis on technological infrastructure and training. In addition, around 26% of the objectives have no links to programmes, targets or monitoring indicators, which shows limitations in the way the plan is implemented.