Urban Health and Urban Justice in the Age of AI and IoT: Data-Driven Pathways to Urban Well-Being

This chapter examines how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are reshaping the relationship between urban health, urban justice, and governance in contemporary cities. It argues that sustainable urban well-being depends on integrating technological innovation with ethical, participatory, and equity-oriented governance frameworks. Drawing on recent research in digital urbanism and health equity, the chapter develops an integrative model for data-driven urban well-being that conceptualizes health, justice, and technology as interdependent dimensions of urban governance. Within this framework, AI–IoT systems function as mediators between environmental, social, and institutional domains, transforming real-time data into actionable insights for inclusive and adaptive decision-making. The analysis also highlights key ethical risks, including surveillance, algorithmic bias, and unequal access to digital infrastructures, which may reproduce socio-spatial inequalities if left unregulated. To address these challenges, the chapter advances a data justice perspective grounded in procedural, structural, and recognitional principles. It concludes by outlining policy pathways that embed transparency, accountability, and citizen participation within smart urban governance. Ultimately, the chapter envisions data-driven cities that leverage technology not only for efficiency but for advancing equitable, health-oriented, and human-centered urban futures.