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Review
. 2024 Jun 8;10(12):e32654.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32654. eCollection 2024 Jun 30.

Smart cities software applications for sustainability and resilience

Donatus Ebere Okonta  1 , Vladimir Vukovic  1
Affiliations
Review

Smart cities software applications for sustainability and resilience

Donatus Ebere Okonta et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

To transform urban areas into smart cities, various technologies-including software, user interfaces, communication networks, and the Internet of Things (IoT)-must tackle complex sustainability and resilience issues. This study aims to investigate the challenges of rapid urban population growth and explore how Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can be utilized to foster the development of smart cities. Specifically, it seeks to understand how the integration of ICT can contribute to enhancing urban resilience, promoting urban sustainability, and improving citizens' quality of life. The study relied on a literature review, appraisals of fifteen (15) different Smart City software applications and their characteristics (spanning various domains, including data analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT), urban mobility, energy management, and citizen engagement platforms, all related to sustainability and resilience), and thirty (30) case studies cutting across sustainability and resilience. Furthermore, thematic analysis from the case studies was used to evaluate the benefits of smart city applications mapped to the six (6) action areas of Smart City. Based on the findings from case studies and smart city software analysis, rapid urbanisation presents multifaceted challenges like traffic congestion, disaster management, environmental degradation, community engagement, economic disparities, and so on. However, adopting Smart City software applications and aligning with various domains, including data analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT), urban mobility, energy management, and citizen engagement platforms, play pivotal roles in addressing these challenges. Further findings reveal that the benefits of smart city software align with the action areas of smart cities, including Governance, Mobility, Economy, Environment, Living, and People. The research offers practical application of smart city software for Urban designs and planners. It highlights the influence of contextual factors across countries on Smart City effectiveness. The study advances ICT-driven urban transformation, enhancing the quality of life in fast-growing cities.

Keywords: Information and communication technologies; Internet of things; Resilience; Smart cities; Smart city software; Sustainability.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Action areas of smart city.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The role of technology in smart cities.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Map showing various sustainability and resilience case studies in several countries.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Smart city software domain.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Smart city software usage.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Smart City Software categories based on use.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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