Guest editorial: Smart villages, rural infrastructure and sustainable development

Introduction Among a global population of almost 8 bn people, over 40% still live in rural areas. Yet, cities have attracted more attention than rural communities, largely because money, knowledge and power are concentrated in cities. Research and intellectual debate required for supporting growth and development of people in rural areas have been limited. However, in the current race towards rapid urbanisation, there is global interest in research associated with the creation of “Smart Villages” to address the ever growing urban-rural divide. By undertaking this timely special issue “Smart Villages, Rural Infrastructure and Sustainable Development”, the significance of the “Smart Villages” concept as an innovative form of development of rural areas was further highlighted. The Smart Villages model has been highlighted as one of the solutions for stemming the flow of people towards already overcrowded and unsustainably growing cities, globally. Realising the knowledge gap in the mainstream literature and focussing on a large range of interconnected topics, for the first time, this special issue brings together the new knowledge and theories being developed among academia, industry professionals and policymakers required for context specific development of rural infrastructure and promotion of sustainable growth, contributing towards the mitigation of the urban-rural divide. Smart Villages research being undertaken in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning at the University of Melbourne has been exploring rural community development, practices and relevant policies with a focus on community-centric planning of affordable housing, infrastructure, sustainable development and growth, community empowerment and other issues related to the creation of Smart Villages. The Smart Villages Lab (SVL) within the Faculty is leading the data-driven and evidence-based original research for developing new knowledge and theory with a focus on rural planning, housing and infrastructure. Research in Smart Villages, rural infrastructure and sustainable development have global appeal because policymakers and administrators especially across developing countries are striving to harness the potential and maximise the opportunities leading to rapid upgrading of rural communities. For instance, over the past decade, massive public schemes in India are being rolled out to provide shelter and services for over 850 m people in village communities across the country. The research presented in this special issue with a particular focus on the rural community and harnessing their potential and opportunities for modernisation and sustainable growth supports a growing need for deeper insight and practical solutions within this field. The issues around Smart Villages, Rural Infrastructure and Sustainable Development provide the themes of this special issue of Built Environment Project and Asset Management (BEPAM) for advancing the new body of knowledge in the rural development context. The guest editors express their sincere thanks toBEPAM Journal for offering to host and support this special issue. The guest editors are confident that the research contributed in this special issue would strengthen institutional capacities of the relevant countries by testing relevant theories and practical implementations. As a result, the articles published in this special issue should provide a sound platform for dissemination of cutting-edge research findings and best practices leading to building smart rural communities. Guest editorial