The article explores the emergence of dynamic smart urban governance modes in the digital age, emphasizing the interplay between technological artifacts, political and social factors, and the evolution of governance modes. It argues that traditional urban governance modes help explain new modes and the nature of citizen-government interactions. A combination of sociotechnical and governance modes perspectives was used to understand the dynamics of emerging governance modes in smart city initiatives. Two cases were studied using a longitudinal qualitative case study and temporal bracketing analysis. The findings show that the configuration of elements, governance mode, information and communication technology (ICT), and types of citizen-government interaction vary across initiatives and change over time, leading to new governance modes. The article highlights the need for a dynamic understanding of smart urban governance for sustainable development in the digital age and identifies two emerging governance modes, proposing a dynamic approach to investigate smart urban governance in other contexts. The research approach involved in-depth longitudinal case studies, temporal bracketing analysis, and data collection through interviews, observations, and document analysis. The cases studied were Curitiba Collaborates in Curitiba and Pátio Digital in São Paulo, Brazil. The findings reveal the emergence of smart governance modes through sociotechnical interaction networks, with the Curitiba Collaborates initiative showing a shift from managerial to collaborative governance, while Pátio Digital evolved into a network governance mode for smart solutions co-creation. The study underscores the importance of sociotechnical interaction networks, open data, and citizen participation in smart urban governance. The results highlight the dynamic nature of smart urban governance and the need for a flexible approach to address the complexities of urban challenges in the digital age.The article explores the emergence of dynamic smart urban governance modes in the digital age, emphasizing the interplay between technological artifacts, political and social factors, and the evolution of governance modes. It argues that traditional urban governance modes help explain new modes and the nature of citizen-government interactions. A combination of sociotechnical and governance modes perspectives was used to understand the dynamics of emerging governance modes in smart city initiatives. Two cases were studied using a longitudinal qualitative case study and temporal bracketing analysis. The findings show that the configuration of elements, governance mode, information and communication technology (ICT), and types of citizen-government interaction vary across initiatives and change over time, leading to new governance modes. The article highlights the need for a dynamic understanding of smart urban governance for sustainable development in the digital age and identifies two emerging governance modes, proposing a dynamic approach to investigate smart urban governance in other contexts. The research approach involved in-depth longitudinal case studies, temporal bracketing analysis, and data collection through interviews, observations, and document analysis. The cases studied were Curitiba Collaborates in Curitiba and Pátio Digital in São Paulo, Brazil. The findings reveal the emergence of smart governance modes through sociotechnical interaction networks, with the Curitiba Collaborates initiative showing a shift from managerial to collaborative governance, while Pátio Digital evolved into a network governance mode for smart solutions co-creation. The study underscores the importance of sociotechnical interaction networks, open data, and citizen participation in smart urban governance. The results highlight the dynamic nature of smart urban governance and the need for a flexible approach to address the complexities of urban challenges in the digital age.