Smart Cities and Sustainability: A Set of Vertical Solutions for Managing Resources

Abstract

The Smart City vision can be viewed as a “system of systems”, where all systems within it are interconnected, in constant communication with each other in real time, exchanging information, and making smart decisions all in a sustainable and highly efficient model. Two decades ago, the Smart City concept was born to address emerging city sustainability issues and was mainly focused on energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. More recently the term was attached to the role of ICT infrastructure. This paper aims to clarify interrelations between the Smart City concept and fostering the sustainable development of cities. The paper is based on an analytical study of the main characteristics and systems of a Smart City, emphasizing the significant role of Future Internet in the development of Smart Cities. The first section is a short introduction to challenges and drivers for a Smart City. Sections two and three discuss the technological context of Future Internet and the expected impact of Internet-of-Things, sensors, tags, and cloud computing on Smart Cities. The next two sections analyze the main Smart City Systems and approaches for managing them. Moreover, sections six and seven analyze two of the top performing Smart Cities in Europe and also address the UAE 2021 Vision in order to assert the environmental impacts that occur as a result of transforming into a Smart City. This paper concludes with a common framework for transforming cities into smart ones, which depends on the nature, circumstances, and resources of each city.