Towards Sustainable Future: Green Information Technologies and Smart Cities

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past twenty years, there has been considerable research and policy focus on the concept of smart cities. Despite extensive discourse in literature, not only does the term "smart city" remains somewhat ambiguous [1] but also a lack of an integrative understanding of the scope and context of research and policy on smart cities prevent the field from reaching its full potential.  Smart cities generally refer to environments where information and communication technologies (ICTs) are widely employed to deliver innovative services to citizens, aiming to improve their well-being and foster sustainable economic growth [2]. According to Giffinger et al. [3], key defining features of smart cities encompass:

• Smart economy;
• Smart people;
• Smart governance;
• Smart mobility;
• Smart environment;
• Smart living.

Although the inception of the term "smart cities" in the 1990s, various perspectives on smart cities have emerged [2,4,5,6], the body of knowledge on smart cities still remains largely fragmented. To address this issue, we invite you to submit your original research articles and reviews to this special issue. While the Special Issue is open to empirical research articles that offer theoretical and practical contributions to the areas of interest based on varied research methods, qualitative, quantitative, conceptual, or mixed methods articles are also welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

1. Sustainability and environmental management: implementation of green technologies, renewable energy sources, and eco-friendly materials to reduce carbon footprints and promote environmental sustainability;
2. Urban mobility and sustainable transportation: use of intelligent transportation systems, such as smart traffic management, autonomous driving, and efficient public transportation systems, to reduce congestion and improve accessibility;
3. Smart infrastructure: development of smart buildings and homes that are more energy-efficient and can interact with the grid to optimize energy consumption;
4. Digital governance and services: digital platforms and e-governance for streamlined city services, enhancing civic engagement through digital channels, and transparent governance practices;
5. Data analytics and Internet of Things (IoT): utilization of data analytics and IoT for urban planning, operational efficiency, and real-time decision making;
6. Public safety and security: enhanced public safety measures through surveillance systems, emergency response technologies, and predictive policing to prevent crime and efficiently manage emergency situations;
7. Healthcare and well-being: smart health services and telemedicine to improve access to healthcare, monitor public health, and promote well-being through connected devices and health applications;
8. Economic development and sustainable innovation: foster a culture of innovation to attract businesses and talents, using smart technologies to create new economic opportunities and improve competitiveness;
9. Connectivity and accessibility: developing strategies to ensure that smart cities are inclusive and accessible to everyone, regardless of socio-economic status;
10. Privacy and security: addressing the challenges of data privacy and cybersecurity in an increasingly connected urban environment, ensuring citizens' data is protected against breaches and misuse.

References:

1. Nastjuk, I.; Trang, S.; Papageorgiou, E. I.; Smart cities and smart governance models for future cities: Current research and future directions. Electronic Markets 2022, 32, 1917-1924.
2. Yigitcanlar, T.; Kamruzzaman, M.; Buys, L.; Ioppolo, G.; Sabatini-Marques, J.; da Costa, E. M.; Yun, J. J. Understanding ‘smart cities’: Intertwining development drivers with desired outcomes in a multidimensional framework. Cities 2018, 81, 145–160.
3. Giffinger, R.; Fertner, C.; Kramar, H.; Kalasek, R.; Pichler-Milanovic, N.; Meijers, E. Smart cities-ranking of European medium-sized cities. Cent. Reg. Sci. Vienna UT. 2007, 9, 1-12.
4. Understanding Smart Cities: An Integrative Framework. Available online: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6149291 (Accessed on 10th February 2024)
5. Smart City and Digital City: Twenty Years of Terminology Evolution. Available online: https://www.itais.org/proceedings/itais2013/pdf/119.pdf (Accessed on 10th February 2024)
6. Hosseini, S.; Frank, L.; Fridgen, G.; Heger, S. Do not forget about smart towns: How to bring customized digital innovation to rural areas. Business and Information Systems Engineering2018., 60, 243–257. 

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Ilja Nastjuk
Dr. Arash Najmaei Lonbani
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. Sustainability 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 2400 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.

• smart cities
• smart technologies
• sustainable planning renewable energy
• intelligent transportation systems
• smart traffic management
• smart homes
• smart governance
• operational efficiency
• real-time decision making
• smart health services
• service digitization
• digital inclusive strategies
• cybersecurity