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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "G1: Smart Cities and Urban Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 June 2023) | Viewed by 11929

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Mariusz Ligarski

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Organization and Management, Silesian University of Technology, ul. Roosevelta 26-28, Zabrze, Poland
Interests: quality management; quality management systems; quality of life; smart cities

Prof. Dr. Izabela Jonek-Kowalska

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Organization and Management, Department of Economics and Computer Sciences, Silesian University of Technology, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
Interests: industrial and municipal economics and management; smart cities; risk management
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In order for modern cities to develop in a sustainable way, it is necessary to have a holistic approach to management, which takes into account the social, technological, environmental, and economic dimensions. The concept of Smart City 3.0 places particular emphasis on the involvement of the human factor. It is the citizens who should provide information, take an active part in the development, and co-create their city. The adoption of such a smart city model should influence creativity, openness to innovation, and change as well as flexibility, understood as the ability to quickly respond to internal and external needs.

The Special Issue "Smart and Sustainable Cities and Communities" provides a broad opportunity to present scientific papers, both theoretical and practical, on an integrated approach to smart cities with consideration of the human factor. This Special Issue invites high-quality scientific manuscripts covering a wide range of topics related to smart cities, smart communities, quality of life, sustainability, strategic management, quality management, intelligent system management, effective management, knowledge management, information management, social responsibility management, safety culture, education for sustainable development, energy philosophy, energy policy, energy management, energy optimization, energy efficiency, energy law, energy economics, energy security, philosophy of technology, artificial intelligence, the Internet of things, big data, electromobility, cognitive technology, ecological awareness, environmental law, environmental management, environmental protection, green energy, ecological culture, new economy, circular economy, information economy, knowledge economy, and quality economy.

Manuscripts of interdisciplinary research on current smart city challenges will be particularly welcome.

Prof. Dr. Mariusz Ligarski
Prof. Dr. Izabela Jonek-Kowalska
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

smart cities
quality of life
sustainability
quality management
energy philosophy
energy management
big data
electromobility
environmental management
new economy

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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26 pages, 4321 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Toward the Smart City Ecosystem Model

by Dagmara Kociuba, Mariusz Sagan and Waldemar Kociuba

Energies 2023, 16(6), 2795; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16062795 - 17 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2479

Abstract

This study aims to present the processes and mechanisms of creating smart city ecosystems by examining the complex strategic choices and interactions among stakeholders operating at different levels of governance and engagement. Based on the literature review and in-depth analyses of a case study (Lublin, Eastern Poland), we demonstrate that the implementation of tailored strategic thinking using adaptation to global trends, exploitation of development potentials and niches, and stakeholders’ involvement allows for coordination and mobilization of development processes leading to the creation of effective smart city ecosystems. In line with the defined smart city challenges, with the application of a three-stage research program, we create an implementable Smart City Ecosystem Model (SCEM). The contributions of the study are as follows: (1) it provides new insights into smart governance, leadership in creating a sustainable and human smart city; (2) it analyzes strategic choices in the creation of a stakeholder ecosystem and competitive business ecosystems based on smart specializations, providing new opportunities for the design and implementation of smart city strategies. Therefore, this study provides a new multidimensional policy framework for smart cities at both strategic and operational levels that can improve the holistic management of smart and sustainable cities and communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Sustainable Cities and Communities)

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17 pages, 1701 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Smart Sustainable Production Management for City Multifloor Manufacturing Clusters: An Energy-Efficient Approach to the Choice of Ceramic Filter Sintering Technology

by Edwin Gevorkyan, Jarosław Chmiel, Bogusz Wiśnicki, Tygran Dzhuguryan, Mirosław Rucki and Volodymyr Nerubatskyi

Energies 2022, 15(17), 6443; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15176443 - 3 Sep 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1417

Abstract

The development of environmentally friendly technologies, including additive technologies, contributes to the formation of sustainable production in city multifloor manufacturing clusters (CMFMCs). This paper discusses an approach to the implementation of energy-intensive technological processes in such clusters using examples of the manufacturing of ceramic and metal–ceramic products. The manufacturing of ceramic and metal–ceramic products in high-temperature furnaces is associated with an increased electricity consumption. The use of modern ceramic micro- and nanopowders makes it possible to switch to more energy-saving technologies by reducing the sintering temperature and shortening the technological cycle. This requires the use of additional activating and inhibiting additives in the initial powder mixtures to obtain products with the necessary physical and mechanical properties. The purpose of this paper is to present a model and indicators to assess the energy efficiency of the choice of sintering technology of foam ceramic filters for smart sustainable production management within CMFMCs. The use of the proposed indicators for assessing the energy efficiency of sintering foam ceramic filters makes it possible to improve the technological process and reduce the completion time of its thermal cycle by 19%, and reduce the maximum heating temperature by 20% to 1350 °C. The adoption of a different oxide technological alternative and the use of the proposed model and indicators to assess the energy efficiency of the sintering technology of foam ceramic filters allows to choose less energy-intensive equipment and save up to 40% in electricity. The proposed model to assess the energy efficiency of the sintering technology of foam ceramic filters can be used to control their production under the power consumption limitations within the CMFMCs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Sustainable Cities and Communities)

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27 pages, 2492 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Intelligent Transportation System Applications and Logistics Resources for Logistics Customer Service in Road Freight Transport Enterprises

by Marta Kadłubek, Eleftherios Thalassinos, Joanna Domagała, Sandra Grabowska and Sebastian Saniuk

Energies 2022, 15(13), 4668; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15134668 - 25 Jun 2022

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3752

Abstract

Road freight transport involves many adversities, along with the growing effect of carbon dioxide transmitted by vehicles on the natural environment, greenhouse gas emissions, or extensive energy use. Within the smart mobility concept, the acknowledged management of enterprises’ relationships with customers within their service is profoundly determined by the deployment of compelling Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSs) applications in forming united cooperation with the customers. The paper proposes selected ITS applications as an advancement of logistics customer service in road freight transport enterprises that is divided into a group of six applications which are critical within the area of vehicle support, improving the energy efficiency of transport and reducing the negative impact of transport on the natural environment, reducing transport time but increasing connectivity and comfort, as well as a group of ten different applications chosen as crucial for general management support and increasing accessibility, cohesiveness, and control in management processes in road freight transport enterprises. The study also presents the effect of ITS applications on logistics customer service as dependent on an alignment between the group of ITS applications and logistics resources of road freight transport enterprises. The model proposed in the paper was analyzed based on the survey data obtained from 164 road freight transport enterprises in Poland. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Sustainable Cities and Communities)

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24 pages, 6682 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interaction with City Logistics Stakeholders as a Factor of the Development of Polish Cities on the Way to Becoming Smart Cities

by Katarzyna Dohn, Marzena Kramarz and Edyta Przybylska

Energies 2022, 15(11), 4103; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15114103 - 2 Jun 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1864

Abstract

The growing population of cities means that they face many new challenges in improving their economic, social and environmental efficiency. These themes are relevant to the increasingly popular worldwide concept of smart cities. A smart city is a city that is friendly to people and the environment, in which people live better, safer, and healthier. From the point of view of management sciences, they are a result of creative development and the implementation of various solutions that should involve various stakeholders. The quality of life of city residents is largely influenced by logistics solutions, including the movement of both people and cargo in the city. This issue is directly relevant to the aim of this article, which is to try to determine the degree of cooperation between the city and city logistics stakeholders in the context of identifying gaps in the inclusion of logistics areas in the strategies of Polish cities. Both the role of stakeholders in actively shaping city strategies and the inclusion of logistics aspects in strategies are areas discussed in recent years in the literature in the context of smart cities. Our approach combines these two areas by pointing to their importance in the development of cities towards smart cities. In our stakeholder research, we focus on city logistics stakeholders, as the identified gaps in strategies relate only to logistics aspects. We conduct our research in Polish cities. In assessing the cooperation of Polish cities with their stakeholders and identifying gaps in the inclusion of logistic aspects in the strategies, we used an original questionnaire that allowed us to survey 280 Polish cities. To analyse the stakeholders we used statistics. To analyse the questionnaires, we used descriptive statistics, while gaps were identified by relating the results to the developed template. Both the problem of gaps and the problem of stakeholders were also considered on a voivodeship scale. The research results indicated a low level of cooperation between local authorities and key city logistics stakeholders. Moreover, logistic aspects were found to be insufficiently included in the city strategies of Polish cities (a high level of gaps was identified for most of the examined areas). This indicates the low awareness of local authorities regarding the shaping of cities’ logistics systems and a lack of activity in this area. The results provide city managers with information on how to develop cooperation with stakeholders and which logistic areas to include in the formulated strategies. Undertaking these actions is a condition for the development of Polish cities towards the “smart city” concept. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Sustainable Cities and Communities)

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Review

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13 pages, 266 KiB

Open AccessReview

Smart Energy for a Smart City: A Review of Polish Urban Development Plans

by Aksana Yarashynskaya and Piotr Prus

Energies 2022, 15(22), 8676; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15228676 - 18 Nov 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1573

Abstract

Smart Energy is a key element of a Smart City concept and understanding the current state and prospective developments of Smart Energy approaches is essential for the effective and efficient energy supply for the needs of the exponentially growing energy demands of contemporary cities. This review analyzes the inclusion of the Smart Energy agenda in Polish Smart City development plans applying content analysis methodology. The stakeholders’ involvement, spatial dimensions, Smart Energy conceptions, and Smart Energy key sectors were identified as the most commonly referenced Smart Energy agenda components. Stakeholders’ involvement in Smart Energy agendas covers all the crucial key actors—universities, local businesses, and public governance institutions. The spatial dimension components of the Smart Energy agenda comprise the individual, city, regional (sub-regional), country, and international (EU) levels, with the natural dominance of the city’s level. The Smart Energy conceptions component shows a profound disparity in the referencing frequency of the four “core” Smart Energy conceptions (renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy-saving technologies, and energy security) and “peripheral” Smart Energy conceptions. Buildings, transportation, lighting, and manufacturing sectors were found to be the only sectors referenced in reviewed urban development plans with regard to the Smart Energy agenda. The research results contribute to the better understanding of the Polish Smart Energy and Smart City planning landscapes and can be helpful in improving the cities’ spatial planning strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Sustainable Cities and Communities)

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