Technology and cities: What type of development is appropriate for cities in the South

This paper deals with technologies, catalysts for change, and their links to development. Indeed, particularly for developing and emerging countries, scientific and technological breakthroughs create wonderful opportunities, but they may also convey risks that should not be overlooked. This leads to crucial questions on the nature of technological innovation and its capacity to fulfill the specific needs of certain societies. Thus, the issue of investing in priority sectors to guarantee more sustainable development for the benefit of all is paramount, as is the question of the stakeholders’ direct or indirect involvement in this scientific, technological, and socioeconomic development process. Access to technologies is one of the last vital issues to be addressed. The paper, therefore, explores the question of the existence of exclusively urban technologies and their adaptability to city-related territorial and societal issues in emerging and developing countries and the key factors on which this adaptability will depend.