SMART CITIES AND SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE: A PATHWAY TOWARD RESILIENT URBAN FUTURES

Rapid urbanization and increasing climate-related disruptions have intensified the need for cities to develop sustainable and resilient infrastructure systems. This study investigates how smart city technologies contribute to sustainable infrastructure and urban resilience, using a comparative case study of Bhubaneswar, Surat, Singapore, and Masdar City. The analysis focuses on key dimensions including infrastructure efficiency, carbon reduction, climate adaptation readiness, smart mobility, governance, and cross-city resilience practices. Findings reveal that AI, IoT, GIS enabled governance, renewable energy systems, and digital mobility solutions significantly enhance sustainable infrastructure performance, which in turn strengthens urban resilience through improved service continuity, disaster preparedness, and low-carbon urban growth. The study further confirms that policy support and citizen-centric governance act as critical enablers in strengthening the resilience pathway. The comparative evidence validates the proposed framework linking smart technologies, sustainable infrastructure, urban resilience, and resilient urban futures. The study contributes to the growing literature by offering a transferable framework for emerging and developed smart cities while highlighting future directions in AI-driven digital twins, resilience indicators, and net-zero infrastructure pathways. These insights provide practical guidance for policymakers, planners, and city administrators seeking to design future-ready urban ecosystems.