The article explores the emergence of dynamic smart urban governance modes in the digital age, emphasizing the multidisciplinary nature and complexity of urban challenges. It argues that traditional urban governance modes help explain the nature of citizen-government interactions and the emergence of new governance modes. The study uses a longitudinal qualitative case study approach with temporal bracketing analysis to understand the dynamics of emerging governance modes in smart city initiatives. Two cases—Curitiba Collaborates in Curitiba and Pátio Digital in São Paulo—are analyzed to highlight the configuration of elements, governance modes, information and communication technology (ICT), and types of citizen-government interaction. The findings show that these configurations vary across initiatives and over time, leading to the emergence of new governance modes. The article highlights the need for a dynamic understanding of smart urban governance for sustainable development and proposes a dynamic approach to investigate smart urban governance in other contexts. The research contributes to the theoretical understanding of smart urban governance and provides practical insights for implementing smart urban governance in practice.The article explores the emergence of dynamic smart urban governance modes in the digital age, emphasizing the multidisciplinary nature and complexity of urban challenges. It argues that traditional urban governance modes help explain the nature of citizen-government interactions and the emergence of new governance modes. The study uses a longitudinal qualitative case study approach with temporal bracketing analysis to understand the dynamics of emerging governance modes in smart city initiatives. Two cases—Curitiba Collaborates in Curitiba and Pátio Digital in São Paulo—are analyzed to highlight the configuration of elements, governance modes, information and communication technology (ICT), and types of citizen-government interaction. The findings show that these configurations vary across initiatives and over time, leading to the emergence of new governance modes. The article highlights the need for a dynamic understanding of smart urban governance for sustainable development and proposes a dynamic approach to investigate smart urban governance in other contexts. The research contributes to the theoretical understanding of smart urban governance and provides practical insights for implementing smart urban governance in practice.