Framework for IT Role in Crowdfunding Urbanization Process in Developing Countries

Abstract

The recent urbanization process is increasingly rapid and unplanned. With the current projection that seven out of ten people worldwide will be living in the cities by the year 2050, with the majority of the growth occurring in cities of the developing countries, information technology (IT) can be used to positively drive the urbanization process. This chapter provides an integrative framework for which various IT trends can be harnessed to crowdfunding urbanization process by focusing on the use of mobile and other handheld devices. Existing use of mobile phone in developing countries focus on e-education, e-commerce, and social media technologies. However, there is little evidence that researchers have analyzed the role of IT in crowdfunding. Consequently, this chapter develops a framework on how the capabilities of mobile devices can be harnessed for crowdfunding urbanization process in the developing countries.