City Ecosystem Research Articles

Assessment of Cybersecurity Risks in Digital Twin Deployments in Smart Cities

Digital Twin (DT) technology has become a cornerstone of modern smart city infrastructure, providing real-time insights and operational efficiencies by creating a virtual replica of physical systems such as traffic networks, energy grids, and public services. While these advancements enable optimized urban management and improved decision-making, they also present new cybersecurity challenges that can potentially jeopardize the safety and reliability of critical infrastructures. This study addresses the cybersecurity risks associated with Digital Twin deployments in smart cities, focusing on threats such as unauthorized access, data manipulation, and hijacking of the DT models, which could result in service disruptions and compromise public safety. The research employs a comprehensive risk assessment methodology based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, where potential risks are identified, evaluated, and prioritized according to their severity and likelihood of occurrence. To mitigate these risks, a multi-layered security framework was developed, incorporating encryption mechanisms, robust access control, and an Artificial Immune System (AIS)-based anomaly detection model. The framework was tested through a simulated case study on a smart transportation system within a smart city environment, demonstrating its effectiveness in preventing data tampering and detecting unauthorized access. The results indicate that the proposed security model reduced data manipulation incidents by 35%, decreased response times for threat detection by 25%, and improved overall system resilience by 40%. These findings underscore the critical need for proactive cybersecurity strategies in ensuring the secure and resilient deployment of Digital Twin technologies in smart cities. The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of continuous security monitoring and adaptive threat management to safeguard smart city ecosystems from evolving cyber threats

Construction of Landscape Ecological Risk Collaborative Management Network in Mountainous Cities—A Case Study of Zhangjiakou

The prevention of ecological risks is a critical determinant influencing sustainable development. Driven by rapid socio-economic development, the ecosystems of mountainous cities within agro-pastoral transition zones are increasingly vulnerable to complex disturbances, constituting a significant threat to sustainable development and human well-being. To help achieve sustainable development, it is essential to conduct research on addressing and mitigating ecological risks from the perspective of collaborative management networks in mountainous cities. Taking Zhangjiakou as the study area, this paper employed the land use transfer matrix and standard deviation ellipse methods to analyze the dynamic land use changes. Additionally, using Fragstats 4,2 to calculate the landscape indices with land use data, this paper evaluated the landscape ecological risk (LER) from 2000 to 2020. Furthermore, the social network analysis (SNA) method was utilized to explore the spatial correlation characteristics of the LER. The findings indicate that: (1) Cultivated land and grassland were the predominant land use types in Zhangjiakou. During 2000–2020, Zhangjiakou experienced significant changes in land use, dominated by the transfer among cultivated land, forestland, and grassland. It indicated that the issue of unstable ecological land use continued to exist. Affected by human activities, construction land showed a consistent upward trend, primarily concentrated in the urban built-up areas and areas along the Jing-Zhang Railway. (2) The LER of Zhangjiakou was predominantly characterized by low risk, medium risk, and high risk levels. In the transitional areas and foothills, the LER was relatively higher. During 2000–2020, Zhangjiakou showed a declining trend of LER. This suggested that the ecological protection policies in Zhangjiakou were effective, leading to an improvement in the local ecological environment. (3) The LER in Zhangjiakou demonstrated a spatial clustering pattern that exhibited an upward trend, which was supported by both spatial autocorrelation and the SNA analysis. In the LER collaborative management network, Xuanhua, Qiaodong, Qiaoxi, Wanquan and Zhangbei consistently upheld pivotal roles. Based on the number of inward and outward connections, 16 counties in Zhangjiakou were classified into four categories and three zones accompanied by corresponding recommendations. The findings of this study can serve as a valuable reference for subsequent landscape pattern optimization and ecological restoration in Zhangjiakou.

A Shark Inspired Ensemble Deep Learning Stacks for Ensuring the Security in Internet of Things (IoT)-Based Smart City Infrastructure

Recent advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT) have paved the way for intelligent and sustainable solutions in smart city environments. However, despite these advantages, IoT-connected devices present significant privacy and security risks, as network attacks increasingly exploit user-centric information. To protect the network against the rapidly growing number of cyber-attacks, it is essential to employ a cognitive intrusion detection system (CIDS) capable of handling complex and voluminous network data. This research presents a novel ensemble deep learning framework designed to enhance cybersecurity in IoT-based smart city ecosystems. The proposed architecture integrates Self-Attention Convolutional Neural Networks, Bidirectional Gated Recurrent Units, and Shark Smell Optimized Feed Forward Networks to create a robust, adaptive system for detecting and mitigating cyber threats. By leveraging fog computing, the model significantly reduces latency and computational overhead, making it highly suitable for large-scale IoT deployments. Extensive experimentation using the ToN-IoT dataset demonstrates the framework's exceptional performance, achieving a 99.78% detection rate across various attack types and an AUC of 0.989. The proposed model outperforms existing state-of-the-art approaches, achieving a mean fitness function value of 0.85640 and a standard deviation of 0.037630 in binary classification outcomes. In multi-class classification, the model maintains a mean fitness function value of 0.8230 and a variance of 2.28930 × 104, significantly outperforming other meta-heuristic algorithms such as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Genetic Algorithm (GA). The model exhibits superior accuracy and efficiency compared to existing state-of-the-art approaches, particularly in identifying complex and emerging threats. This research makes significant contributions by introducing innovative feature extraction techniques, optimizing model performance for resource-constrained environments, and providing a scalable solution for securing smart city infrastructure. The findings highlight the potential of ensemble deep learning approaches to fortify IoT networks against cyberattacks, paving the way for more resilient and secure smart cities.

Review of Slum Management Policies in Urban Areas

Urban slum areas in Indonesia began to feel very disruptive to city mechanisms and dynamics in the late 70s, so the government launched Village Improvement programs such as the Moh Slum Improvement Program. Husni Thamrin in Jakarta, Dewi Sartika Village Improvement Program in Bandung, and other village improvements carried out in big cities in Indonesia. While these programs have not been able to solve existing problems, city dynamics are running so fast, especially after reform. The development of cities with very high population pressure is beyond the government's ability to control them. On the other hand, the need for employment and business is very large due to the financial crisis and the phenomenon of job cuts (PHK), because many companies are going bankrupt. This problem must be borne by the city ecosystem which has many limitations. People in every city, because they are pressured by the necessities of life, can do business in urban areas wherever they think there is a chance to live. In this situation, the growth of slum areas in urban areas not only occurs in residential areas, but also occurs in business areas and along road routes which are still possible to use as places of business and residence. Of course, this cannot be tolerated, and the government needs to respond through appropriate policies now and in the future, considering that slum areas are now evenly distributed to all cities in Indonesia and not only in big cities.

Vertical Green Wall Systems for Rainwater and Sewage Treatment

Rainwater and sewage are important pollution sources for surface water bodies. Vertical greening systems (VGSs) are extensively employed for these wastewater treatments due to the green and sustainable characteristics, as well as their high-efficiency in pollutant (organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus) removal. At present, more and more VGSs are designed with green buildings, serving city ecosystems. This study provides an overview of different kinds of VGSs for rain and sewage treatment, emphasizing their types, design, mechanisms, selection of plants, and growth substrate. Plants play a crucial role in pollutant removal, and different plants usually obtain different efficiencies of water treatment. Climbing plants and ornamental plants with fast growth rates are priority selections for VGSs, including Canna lilies, Jasmine, Grape vine, Boston ivy, Pittosporum tobira, Pelargonium australe, Mentha aquatica, and Lythrum salicaria. The substrate is the most critical part of the VGS, which plays an important role in regulating water flow, supporting plant growth, promoting biofilm growth, filtering pollutants, and adsorbing nutrients. The single substrate either has a blockage problem or has a short holding time. Therefore, a number of studies have mixed the substrates and integrated the advantages of the substrates to form a complementary effect, thereby improving the overall purification efficiency and stability. Novel substrates (sand, spent coffee grounds, date seeds, coffee grinds, reed-based, etc.) are usually mixed with coco coir, light-weight expanded clay, growstone, or perlite at a certain ratio to obtain optimum treatment performance. Moreover, plants in clay show more significant growth advantages and health statuses than in zeolite or soil. Operating parameters are also significant influences on the treatment performance. This review provides theoretical and technical support for designing sustainable, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective VGSs in treating rainwater and sewage.

Spatial–temporal variation and correlation analysis of ecosystem service values and ecological risks in winter city Shenyang, China

Ecosystems in winter cities are complex and fragile, experiencing significant changes due to climate variations and human construction activities. Previous studies on the assessment of overall ecosystem service value (ESV) and ecological risk index (ERI) in winter cities are scarce. In this study, we constructed ESV and ERI measurement models using land use data in 2000, 2010, and 2020 using the improved value per unit area factor method and the landscape pattern index method, respectively, to reveal their spatial and temporal change characteristics. Geographic detectors were used to explore the driving roles of natural and artificial factors on the changes of ESV and ERI. The combination in ESV and ERI can then provide a more quantitative and accurate basis for policy decisions, identify priority areas for urban ecological restoration, and reduce the risk to ecosystems. The results of the study show that the total ESV of Shenyang city decreased from 273.97 × 108 CNY to 270.38 × 108 CNY during 2000–2020. Although the decrease is not large, the ESV changes structurally with the advancement of urbanization. During the 20 years, the construction land with the lowest ecological service function continues to expand, increasing by 354 km2, the grassland decreased by 215.9 km2, and the arable land decreased by 196.6 km2. The ecological service function of the water area is the strongest, with an increase of 51.3 km2 in the water area, ensuring that there is no significant decline in ESV. The size of the ERI is Very high, High, and Medium value zones remained relatively stable, while the size of the Very Low-value zone decreased by 12.78% and the size of the Low-value zone increased by 13.21%. The interaction factors that contributed most to the changes in ESV and ERI were annual evapotranspiration (EVP)/ Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Annual sunshine hours (SSD)/ Digital Elevation Model (DEM) , respectively. There was a spatial correlation between ESV and ERI. The areas with the highest ESV supply capacity and at the same time facing severe ecological risks to the landscape pattern are distributed in the northeastern hilly lands. This area should be prioritized to develop planning and control measures to prevent further erosion of forest lands and grasslands and reduce ecological risks. These results provide a theoretical basis for ensuring ecological security and sustainable development in winter cities.

Blockchain and Smart Cities for Inclusive and Sustainable Communities: A Bibliometric and Systematic Literature Review

Smart cities are urban areas that leverage technological solutions to enhance traditional network management and efficiency to benefit residents and businesses. Based on the Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol, this study presents a systematic literature review aimed at analyzing the existing literature on smart cities research. The literature review specifically focuses on the impact of blockchain technology on the urban environment and its potential to contribute to the development of inclusive and sustainable communities, including financial systems and infrastructures with similar characteristics to serve these societies. The findings reveal a lack of studies on the practical applications of distributed ledger technologies (DLTs), particularly blockchain, that specifically focus on the urban context capable of developing the (financial) ecosystem of smart cities. To address this gap, a future research agenda is proposed, highlighting several research questions that could guide academics and practitioners interested in exploring the development of smart city systems, with particular attention on the financial framework.

Small Cities - Big Dreams: Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Alpha, Beta and Gamma Cities

Small Cities - Big Dreams: Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Alpha, Beta and Gamma Cities

Ecosystem Approaches in International Business Non-Equity Collaborations and Partnerships in Evolving Global Cities

This qualitative literature review explores ecosystem approaches in international business, focusing on non-equity collaborations and partnerships within evolving global cities. Global cities serve as critical nodes for multinational enterprises (MNEs), facilitating strategic interactions and innovation through diverse collaborations with local firms and stakeholders. The review synthesizes current research to highlight how such collaborations enhance MNEs' competitive advantage by leveraging local knowledge, resources, and market access. Key findings illustrate the role of global city ecosystems in fostering innovation, operational efficiency, and sustainable development for MNEs. However, challenges such as regulatory complexities and institutional misalignments constrain effective collaboration, necessitating adaptive governance and strategic alignment among stakeholders. Future research directions include integrating quantitative analyses to complement qualitative insights, exploring diverse geographic and sectoral contexts, and advancing digital and sustainable strategies within global city ecosystems.

Beyond Urban Forests: The Multiple Functions and the Overlooked Role of Semi-Natural Ecosystems in Mediterranean Cities

Beyond Urban Forests: The Multiple Functions and the Overlooked Role of Semi-Natural Ecosystems in Mediterranean Cities

Hybrid quantum architecture for smart city security

Currently and in the near future, Smart Cities are vital to enhance urban living, address resource challenges, optimize infrastructure, and harness technology for sustainability, efficiency, and improved quality of life in rapidly urbanizing environments. Owing to the high usage of networks, sensors, and connected devices, Smart Cities generate a massive amount of data. Therefore, Smart City security concerns encompass data privacy, Internet-of-Things (IoT) vulnerabilities, cyber threats, and urban infrastructure risks, requiring robust solutions to safeguard digital assets, citizens, and critical services. Some solutions include robust cybersecurity measures, data encryption, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven threat detection, public–private partnerships, standardized security protocols, and community engagement to foster a resilient and secure smart city ecosystem. For example, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) helps in real-time monitoring, threat detection, and incident response by aggregating and analyzing security data. To this end, no integrated systems are operating in this context. In this paper, we propose a Hybrid Quantum-Classical Architecture for bolstering Smart City security that exploits Quantum Machine Learning (QML) and SIEM to provide security based on Quantum Artificial Intelligence and patterns/rules. The validity of the hybrid quantum-classical architecture was proven by conducting experiments and a comparison of the QML algorithms with state-of-the-art AI algorithms. We also provide a proof of concept dashboard for the proposed architecture.

Pendidikan Kewirausahan Kampus Hijau UIN Raden Intan Lampung dalam Mendukung Ekosistem Kota Pintar Bandar Lampung

Entrepreneurship is about changing the world through solving social problems, creating innovative products and generating new solutions in life. This research examines how entrepreneurship education at universities or green campuses plays a role in supporting the Bandar Lampung smart city ecosystem. This research is library research with a descriptive approach. The results of this research show that Entrepreneurship Education on an environmentally friendly green campus is an effective way to produce intelligent people as an indicator of creating a smart city based on a green city and a liveable city. Therefore, leaders of green universities or campuses must continue to strive to create environmentally friendly entrepreneurship education so that green campus efforts as part of the green city ecosystem towards a livable city can continue to be implemented towards achieving smart city targets.

The Main Barriers Limiting the Development of Smart Buildings

Smart buildings play a key role in the complex ecosystem of cities and are often subject to barriers that limit their development. Although identifying these barriers is fundamental to creating an enabling environment for this segment’s expansion, few works aim to identify these challenges. This work has two main objectives: (1) to research the main barriers limiting the development of new smart building projects and (2) to prioritize these barriers from the perspective of professionals with experience in the field. We adopted an exploratory approach common in research that focuses on identifying and prioritizing variables related to a phenomenon, which is based on two main actions: obtaining information through a careful literature review and consulting professionals who work in the concerned field. The results showed that professionals assessed the 23 barriers identified through bibliographic research as important, with the most important being related to lack of qualified professionals, shortage of government policies, higher initial and construction costs, macroeconomic barriers and access to financing, high cost of intelligent systems and technologies, regulatory barriers, lack of knowledge about the current and potential benefits of smart buildings, and more complex design and construction.

Business environment ecosystem and manufacturing upgrading: A configurational approach

Focusing on 50 representative Chinese cities and applying the ecosystem theory of the business environment, this study employs the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method to detect the synergistic mechanisms through which the business environment ecosystem of cities affects the manufacturing upgrading. The findings show: First, none of elements in the business environment ecosystem alone could constitute the necessary condition for high manufacturing upgrading. Second, there are three paths for the configuration of high-level manufacturing upgrading, which can be summarized into two modes: “public & innovation” driven mode, and “public & market” driven mode. Third, there are six paths in the configuration of low-level manufacturing upgrading, which can be summarized into three modes: “government & innovation” restricted mode, “human & market” restricted mode, and “government & high rule of law” restricted mode. Furthermore, there is an asymmetrical relationship with the configurations of high manufacturing upgrading performance. Finally, under certain conditions, there are substitutive relationships between elements in the business environment. Overall, this work contributes to the literature on the synergistic mechanisms of business environment ecosystems, and provides practical information for manufacturing firms pursuing upgrading from multiple paths.

A copula-based secured intelligent dynamic-static energy community transportation system for smart cities

This paper addresses a secured co-dynamic model for the energy management of Electrical Vehicles (EVs) within the real community transportation system (RCTS). The proposed model aims to facilitate interoperability among mobile energy resources within the smart city, enabling the RCTS to model the co-dynamic-static transportation systems (TSs) simultaneously. The energy management model within the traffic flow system focuses on dynamic assignment, considering the power consumption associated with the density of moving vehicles. EVs play a key role in economically managing energy in both static and dynamic behaviors within charging stations while aligning with the current traffic flow.To enhance data security within the smart city ecosystem, a directed acyclic graph (DAG)-based decentralized cyber security approach is recommended. This approach ensures that data transactions involving mobile energy resources are secured against cyber-attacks through the use of public, private, and transaction blocks. Additionally, an uncertainty-based copula function is presented to create a precise management environment within the smart city. The results indicate that the proposed model for transportation energy resources tends to reduce energy costs by optimally controlling energy consumption within traffic flow, compared to normal conditions.

Diversity pattern of insects from Macao based on an updated species checklist after 25 years.

Insects represent one of the most diverse groups in the organism world with extremely rich species and morphological diversity, playing important roles in natural and city ecosystems. Regional compilation of insect species lists helps to clarify the richness of insect species in a region, enhances our understanding the structure and function of a local ecosystem and promotes the protection and development of insect resources. Moreover, it also serves as a valuable reference for cities with small area, large population and high urbanisation like Macao. Macao (Macau) Special Administrative Region (SAR) is situated at the Pearl River Delta on the southeast coast of mainland China. With urban development accelerating at great rate in a quite restricted area, Macao still has rich fauna, within which the insect diversity is surprisingly high. In this study, we systematically sorted out major references items of manuals or handbooks, monographs, articles, dissertations, official websites and other publicly available information sources about the insects recorded in Macao and, thus, generated a checklist of 15 orders, 166 families, 868 genera, 1,339 species and 118 subspecies. During this process, the preliminarily summarised list was re-examined to eliminate synonyms and invalid species, based on many more extensive literature reviews. Besides, spelling errors of scientific names, authors and years were corrected. Meanwhile, the catalogue revealed a different composition pattern of species diversity between orders from those of the world and China. Even based on the most conservative estimates, the number of insect species in Macao should not be lower than 3,340 species, which hints at the necessity of deeper investigations with adequate collecting in the future to achieve more comprehensive recognition and understanding of Macao's insect biodiversity.

The development of ecological smart cities in the post-epidemic era

With the accelerated development of globalization and urbanization, the advent of the post-epidemic era means that the world has begun to enter the recovery stage, and the rapid development of urbanization has caused cities to transform from a decentralized model to a centralized model. The growing population puts cities under tremendous pressure. This paper studies the case of Barcelona, analyzes and summarizes the development of Barcelona's ecological smart city, as well as the practical application of information technology and Internet of Things technology, and discusses the challenges faced by smart cities. The concept of ecological smart city consists of the Internet, openness, intelligence, innovation and green to form an urban planning framework. Lay out smart sensors according to the size and shape of urban space, and use smart technology to activate the city's ecosystem. The digitalization and IoT technology services of smart cities are not only conducive to the tracking and prevention of the epidemic, but also conducive to the recovery and development of the city in the post-epidemic era. Smart cities represent the development of a city that is more efficient, sustainable, and livable. The development trend of smart cities is characterized by the integration of advanced technologies to improve the quality of life of urban residents, improve sustainability, and optimize city operations. Finally, it provides some suggestions and experiences for the development of smart cities in the world and expectations for the future of this field of research.

Key elements, processes and research gaps in city learning as an innovation ecosystem: A scoping review.

Learning in cities with the support of Information and Communication Technologies has been a point of interest for researchers. The main objective of this study is to understand city learning, or learning in cities, where cities are considered learning and innovation ecosystems. This study explores how learning in cities is supported by existing frameworks for city transformations and identifies the key elements and processes for city learning as an innovation ecosystem. The study defines city learning as a process involving citizens, institutions, and communities and considers the city to be a system that can learn and innovate. The study conducts a scoping review of relevant literature and a qualitative analysis of the key characteristics of the frameworks, such as how they view the city, how they address learning, what interactions they focus on, and how they use Information and Communication Technology. The study identifies the main concepts, the key elements and processes in city learning and the current research gaps. The key elements and interactions are then described with reference to a conceptual model of the city ecosystem, and the elements are mapped with required processes to drive city learning. The findings from this study can help ascertain how a city can learn as an innovation ecosystem and can be beneficial for achieving twin transitions of the city and lifelong learning

Reshaping Smart Cities through NGSI-LD Enrichment.

The vast amount of information stemming from the deployment of the Internet of Things and open data portals is poised to provide significant benefits for both the private and public sectors, such as the development of value-added services or an increase in the efficiency of public services. This is further enhanced due to the potential of semantic information models such as NGSI-LD, which enable the enrichment and linkage of semantic data, strengthened by the contextual information present by definition. In this scenario, advanced data processing techniques need to be defined and developed for the processing of harmonised datasets and data streams. Our work is based on a structured approach that leverages the principles of linked-data modelling and semantics, as well as a data enrichment toolchain framework developed around NGSI-LD. Within this framework, we reveal the potential for enrichment and linkage techniques to reshape how data are exploited in smart cities, with a particular focus on citizen-centred initiatives. Moreover, we showcase the effectiveness of these data processing techniques through specific examples of entity transformations. The findings, which focus on improving data comprehension and bolstering smart city advancements, set the stage for the future exploration and refinement of the symbiosis between semantic data and smart city ecosystems.

Sustainable solid waste management challenges in hill cities of developing Countries: Insights from eastern Himalayan smart cities of Sikkim, India

Rapid urbanization and the growing tourism industry in the Himalayan region have raised significant concerns about the sustainable handling and management of solid waste in the area. This concern is particularly pronounced in the unique and vulnerable ecosystem of cities nestled in the eastern Indian Himalayas, where geography, ecology, and socio-economic factors converge to create distinctive challenges. This study undertakes a thorough investigation of solid waste management practices and challenges in two smart cities nestled in the eastern Himalayan region of India, specifically Gangtok and Namchi. The primary objective was to unveil the complex challenges confronting these cities by conducting an in-depth exploration of waste management practices. This comprehensive investigation was achieved through the collection of samples, conducting surveys within each ward of the cities, and performing physicochemical characterization analyses. The study also proposes a solution-oriented approach leveraging life cycle analysis. Despite the Himalayan backdrop, waste generation varies significantly, with Gangtok producing substantially more waste (50 tons per day (TPD)) compared to Namchi (4.6 TPD). Both cities excel in waste collection, but Gangtok leads in proactive treatment, with 22% (11 TPD) undergoing composting and recycling. However, shared challenges at riverside disposal sites, including overfilled dumpsites and leachate contamination, pose potential environmental hazards amid the Himalayan allure. Organic waste predominates at 40.9% and 40.01% in both cities, indicating composting potential. Plastic closely at 22.25% (Namchi) and 22.65% (Gangtok) was way above the global (12 %) and national (8.4 %) average respectively, emphasizing the urgency of plastic waste reduction strategy. The 16.95% cardboard in Gangtok highlights potential commerce-related waste. The study also highlights the importance of comprehensive policies for informal sector well-being. The lifecycle assessment of Namchi and Gangtok reveals significant methane emissions (99%) from waste anaerobic decomposition potentially due to poor source segregation. Implementing a futuristic waste strategy reduces emissions by 38% in Namchi and 40% in Gangtok, through biogas utilization and renewable energy adoption. The findings advocate for citizen engagement, improved collection, targeted campaigns, and circular economy principles. To ensure sustainability and resilience in waste management within mountain regions, tailored strategies such as material recycling facilities, community engagement initiatives, and landfill diversion mandates should integrate ecological, socioeconomic, and logistical considerations, fostering awareness and participation among communities.