Submit to Smart Cities Review for Smart Cities

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Smart Cities, Volume 7, Issue 3 (June 2024) – 5 articles

Issues are regarded as officially published after their release is announced to the table of contents alert mailing list.
You may sign up for e-mail alerts to receive table of contents of newly released issues.
PDF is the official format for papers published in both, html and pdf forms. To view the papers in pdf format, click on the "PDF Full-text" link, and use the free Adobe Reader to open them.

Order results

Result details

Section

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

29 pages, 3585 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combined Optimisation of Traffic Light Control Parameters and Autonomous Vehicle Routes

by Mariano Gallo

Smart Cities 2024, 7(3), 1060-1088; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities7030045 - 03 May 2024

Viewed by 147

Abstract

In the near future, fully autonomous vehicles may revolutionise mobility and contribute to the development of the smart city concept. In this work, we assume that vehicles are not only fully autonomous but also centrally controlled by a single operator, who can also define the traffic light control parameters at intersections. With the aim of optimising the system to achieve a global optimum, the operator can define both the routes of the fleet of vehicles and the traffic light control parameters. This paper proposes a model for the joint optimisation of traffic light control parameters and autonomous vehicle routes to achieve the system optimum. The model, which is solved using a gradient algorithm, is tested on networks of different sizes. The results obtained show the validity of the proposed approach and the advantages of centralised management of vehicles and intersection control parameters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Smart Transportation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 497 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Smart Cities for All? Bridging Digital Divides for Socially Sustainable and Inclusive Cities

by Johan Colding, Caroline Nilsson and Stefan Sjöberg

Smart Cities 2024, 7(3), 1044-1059; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities7030044 - 03 May 2024

Viewed by 160

Abstract

This paper aims to emphasize the need for enhancing inclusivity and accessibility within smart-city societies. It represents the first attempt to apply Amartya Sen’s capability approach by exploring the implications of digital divides for promoting inclusive and climate-friendly cities that prioritize well-being, equity, and societal participation. Sen’s framework recognizes individual variations in converting resources into valuable ‘functionings’, and herein emphasizes the importance of aligning personal, social, and environmental conversion factors for individuals to fully navigate, participate in, and enjoy the benefits provided by smart cities. Adopting the capability approach and employing a cross-disciplinary analysis of the scientific literature, the primary objective is to broaden understanding of how to improve inclusivity and accessibility within smart-city societies, with a specific focus on marginalized community members facing first- and second-level digital divides. This paper underscores the importance of adopting a systemic perspective on climate-smart city navigation and stresses the importance of establishing a unified governing body responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and enhancing smart-city functionality. The paper concludes by summarizing some policy recommendations to boost social inclusion and address climate change in smart cities, such as creating capability-enhancing institutions, safeguarding redundancy in public-choice options, empowering citizens, and leveraging academic knowledge in smart-city policy formulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inclusive Smart Cities)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

37 pages, 4794 KiB

Open AccessReview

Off-Grid Electrification Using Renewable Energy in the Philippines: A Comprehensive Review

by Arizeo C. Salac, Jairus Dameanne C. Somera, Michael T. Castro, Maricor F. Divinagracia-Luzadas, Louis Angelo M. Danao and Joey D. Ocon

Smart Cities 2024, 7(3), 1007-1043; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities7030043 - 26 Apr 2024

Viewed by 515

Abstract

Universal access to electricity is beneficial for the socio-economic development of a country and the development of smart communities. Unfortunately, the electrification of remote off-grid areas, especially in developing countries, is rather slow due to geographic and economic barriers. In the Philippines, specifically, many electrified off-grid areas are underserved, with access to electricity being limited to only a few hours a day. This is mainly due to the high dependence on diesel power plants (DPPs) for electrifying these areas. To address these problems, hybrid renewable energy systems (HRESs) have been considered good electrification alternatives and have been extensively studied for their techno-economic and financial feasibility for Philippine off-grid islands. In this work, articles published from 2012 to 2023 focusing on off-grid Philippine rural electrification were reviewed and classified based on their topic. The taxonomical analysis of collected studies shows that there is a saturation of works focusing on the technical and economic aspects of off-grid electrification. Meanwhile, studies focusing on environmental and socio-political factors affecting HRES off-grid electrification are lagging. A bibliographic analysis of the reviewed articles also showed that there is still a lack of a holistic approach in studying off-grid electrification in the Philippines. There are only a few works that extend beyond the typical techno-economic study. Research works focusing on environmental and socio-political factors are also mainly isolated and do not cross over with technical papers. The gap between topic clusters should be addressed in future works on off-grid electrification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Smart Grids)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 5338 KiB

Open AccessArticle

3D Point Cloud and GIS Approach to Assess Street Physical Attributes

by Patricio R. Orozco Carpio, María José Viñals and María Concepción López-González

Smart Cities 2024, 7(3), 991-1006; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities7030042 - 25 Apr 2024

Viewed by 209

Abstract

The present research explores an innovative approach to objectively assessing urban streets attributes using 3D point clouds and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Urban streets are vital components of cities, playing a significant role in the lives of their residents. Usually, the evaluation of some of their physical attributes has been subjective, but this study leverages 3D point clouds and digital terrain models (DTM) to provide a more objective perspective. This article undertakes a micro-urban analysis of basic physical characteristics (slope, width, and human scale) of a representative street in the historic centre of Valencia (Spain), utilizing 3D laser-scanned point clouds and GIS tools. Applying the proposed methodology, thematic maps were generated, facilitating the objective identification of areas with physical attributes more conducive to suitable pedestrian dynamics. This approach provides a comprehensive understanding of urban street attributes, emphasizing the importance of addressing their assessment through advanced digital technologies. Moreover, this versatile methodology has diverse applications, contributing to social sustainability by enhancing the quality of urban streets and open spaces. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 8995 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating the Feasibility of Intelligent Blind Road Junction V2I Deployments

by Joseph Clancy, Dara Molloy, Sean Hassett, James Leahy, Enda Ward, Patrick Denny, Edward Jones, Martin Glavin and Brian Deegan

Smart Cities 2024, 7(3), 973-990; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities7030041 - 24 Apr 2024

Viewed by 249

Abstract

Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) communications is a technology that enables intelligent vehicles to exchange information and thus coordinate with other vehicles, road users, and infrastructure. However, despite advancements in cellular technology for V2X applications, significant challenges remain regarding the ability of the system to meet stringent Quality-of-Service (QoS) requirements when deployed at scale. Thus, smaller-scale V2X use case deployments may embody a necessary stepping stone to address these challenges. This work assesses network architectures for an Intelligent Perception System (IPS) blind road junction or blind corner scenarios. Measurements were collected using a private 5G NR network with Sub-6GHz and mmWave connectivity, evaluating the feasibility and trade-offs of IPS network configurations. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the IPS as a V2X application, with implementation considerations based on deployment and maintenance costs. If computation resources are co-located with the sensors, sufficient performance is achieved. However, if the computational burden is instead placed upon the intelligent vehicle, it is questionable as to whether an IPS is achievable or not. Much depends on image quality, latency, and system performance requirements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Information Sensing Technology for Intelligent/Driverless Vehicle, 2nd Volume)

► Show Figures