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Smart Cities
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Early Career Researchers’ Contributions in Smart Cities
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Early Career Researchers’ Contributions in Smart Cities

A special issue of Smart Cities (ISSN 2624-6511).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 19517

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Pierluigi Siano

grade E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Management and Innovation Systems, University of Salerno, 84084 Salerno, Italy
Interests: smart grids; energy management; power systems; demand response
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is with delight that we present the Special Issue “Early Career Researchers’ Contributions in Smart Cities”, which showcases high-quality work pertaining to the science and technology of smart cities, with the first author being at the undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate level—up to 5 years post-doctoral degree. This Special Issue aims to publish reviews, regular research papers (articles) and communications in all areas of research concerning smart cities. Early career researchers are invited to contribute manuscripts focused on, but not limited to, the following broad topics:

  • Information and communication technology (ICT) in smart cities;
  • Internet of Things (IoT) for smart cities;
  • Smart sensing;
  • Smart grids and smart infrastructures;
  • Smart transportation and mobility;
  • Smart energy;
  • Smart buildings;
  • Smart food and agriculture;
  • Smart governance;
  • Smart people;
  • Smart economy;
  • Smart healthcare;
  • Smart living.

As this collection is dedicated to researchers who are beginning their academic career, it aims to make the publication process as transparent as possible, and to provide additional guidance regarding how to address reviewers’ comments. Nonetheless, the research work will be assessed as rigorously as any other paper submitted to Smart Cities.

Prof. Dr. Pierluigi Siano
Guest Editor

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. Smart Cities 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 2000 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.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 644 KiB  
Article
Innovations in Shared Mobility—Review of Scientific Works
by Katarzyna Turoń and János Tóth
Smart Cities 2023, 6(3), 1545-1559; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities6030073 - 29 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1453
Abstract
Shared mobility is developing at a very fast pace around the world, becoming an alternative to classic forms of travel and, according to the public, providing innovative services. In recent years, these innovative services have also gained wide interest among scientists from a [...] Read more.
Shared mobility is developing at a very fast pace around the world, becoming an alternative to classic forms of travel and, according to the public, providing innovative services. In recent years, these innovative services have also gained wide interest among scientists from a multicriteria point of view. However, among the topics and reviews in the literature, no review paper considering shared mobility in terms of innovation was identified. This article’s research objective was to indicate the perception of innovation in shared mobility in scientific works. The results indicate that innovations in shared mobility are a niche topic considered in few scientific works. What is more, in most cases, shared mobility services are perceived as innovative in themselves without detailed service analysis. Moreover, the issues of open innovation, which are closely related to the concept of accessible Mobility as a Service system and smart cities, are often overlooked. In addition, there was no work identified that fully referred to all areas of innovative service. The article supports researchers in the determination of further research directions in the field of shared mobility and fills the research gap in the field of knowledge about open innovation, especially in the context of the development of shared mobility services in smart cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Career Researchers’ Contributions in Smart Cities)
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15 pages, 1885 KiB  
Article
Non-Linearity Flux of Fractional Transport Density Equation in Traffic Flow with Solutions
by Rfaat Moner Soliby and Siti Suhana Jamaian
Smart Cities 2022, 5(4), 1655-1669; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities5040084 - 28 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1728
Abstract
In the present paper, we derive and solve the space-fractional traffic flow model which is considered as a generalization of the transport density equation. Based on the fundamental physical principles on finite-length highway where the number of vehicles is conserved, without entrances or [...] Read more.
In the present paper, we derive and solve the space-fractional traffic flow model which is considered as a generalization of the transport density equation. Based on the fundamental physical principles on finite-length highway where the number of vehicles is conserved, without entrances or exits, we construct a fractional continuity equation. As a limitation of the classical calculus, the continuity equation is constructed based on truncating after the first order of Taylor expansion, which means that the change in the number of vehicles is linear over the finite-length highway. However, in fractional calculus, we prove that nonlinear flow is a result of truncating the fractional Taylor polynomial after the second term with zero error. Therefore, the new fractional traffic flow model is free from being linear, and the space now is described by the fractional powers of coordinates, provided with a single variable measure. Further, some exact solutions of the fractional model are generated by the method of characteristics. Remarkably, these solutions have significant physical implications to help to make the proper decisions for constructing traffic signals in a smart city. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Career Researchers’ Contributions in Smart Cities)
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24 pages, 5921 KiB  
Article
Increasing Energy Conservation Behavior of Individuals towards Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Communities
by Rumeysa Ceylan and Aysegül Özbakır
Smart Cities 2022, 5(4), 1611-1634; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities5040082 - 18 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1918
Abstract
The energy crisis is the foremost concern for the developing world, predominantly in European countries. The global energy demand will increase significantly by 2050, while natural resources dramatically decrease every day. However, net-zero emissions targets, climate emergency calls (1.5 °C global warming limit), [...] Read more.
The energy crisis is the foremost concern for the developing world, predominantly in European countries. The global energy demand will increase significantly by 2050, while natural resources dramatically decrease every day. However, net-zero emissions targets, climate emergency calls (1.5 °C global warming limit), smart environmental transformations, and energy transition efforts bring hope for fundamental changes in climate action globally. One of the best and most cost-effective strategies to achieve reduced energy consumption is encouraging energy conservation actions, which should begin at the household level and further spread to the community level. Therefore, this study aims to point out the critical role and growing importance of the ‘human’ dimension of smart cities via a behavior-based approach. The main purpose of the study is to measure the effect of feedback and intervention mechanisms on the energy conservation behavior of 100 volunteers who live in Kadikoy, Istanbul, over eight months through a behavioral questionnaire. The findings indicate that the feedback and intervention mechanisms affect volunteers’ energy conservation behaviors in the following behavioral groups: intention (t(99) = −2.75, p = 0.00), attitude (behavioral beliefs and outcome evaluations) (t(99) = 2.29, p = 0.02), subjective norms (t(99) = −4.07, p = 0.00), and perceived behavioral control (control beliefs and influence behavior) (t(99) = 3.60, p = 0.00). Moreover, among the four variable groups, participants’ intention, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control scores are relatively high in favor of actual energy conservation behavior. Hence, the findings of the study will provide valuable insights for the local government in terms of empowering citizen participation and data-driven feedback loops, from the bottom-up energy transition perspective, via smart technologies in smart cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Career Researchers’ Contributions in Smart Cities)
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20 pages, 474 KiB  
Article
Hybrid Approach for Developing Strategic ICT Framework for Smart Cities—A Case Study of Dubai’s Toll Gates (Salik)
by Mahmoud El Hendy, Shadi Atalla, Sami Miniaoui, Mohammad Daradkeh, Wathiq Mansoor and Kamarul Faizal Bin Hashim
Smart Cities 2022, 5(4), 1554-1573; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities5040079 - 07 Nov 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2950
Abstract
Information and communication technologies (ICT), systems, and people are driving innovative approaches and actions to address issues such as urbanization, demographic change, and carbon footprints of cities. Current research on smart city technologies is typically focused on the areas of technology and applications. [...] Read more.
Information and communication technologies (ICT), systems, and people are driving innovative approaches and actions to address issues such as urbanization, demographic change, and carbon footprints of cities. Current research on smart city technologies is typically focused on the areas of technology and applications. As a result, a holistic strategic framework is lacking, as partner organizations often fail to adopt and comply with the necessary interoperability standards, which can undermine the effective and rapid roll-out and transformation of smart city project strategies. This study aims to develop an ICT framework on the determinants of smart city adoption that is developed to help society and policymakers achieve the goals pursued under the smart city initiative, such as maximizing synergies between different ICT infrastructure activities and avoiding large-scale investments without increasing their potential or focusing on short-term solutions without considering long-term needs. Based on data from the literature review and expert interviews, combined with a case study of the United Arab Emirates, this paper identifies the relevant determinants, which are conceptually grouped into seven basic dimensions. For each of these dimensions, relevant sub-dimensions are specified. The framework was developed and validated through three methods: interviews with experts, a desktop study of 62 smart cities, and finally a case study of the Salik system in Dubai based on the concept of the framework. By identifying key adoption determinants, the framework provides a useful analytical perspective for policymakers and researchers involved in the strategic feasibility roll-out and transformation of smart cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Career Researchers’ Contributions in Smart Cities)
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19 pages, 6242 KiB  
Article
An Intelligent IoT Based Traffic Light Management System: Deep Reinforcement Learning
by Shima Damadam, Mojtaba Zourbakhsh, Reza Javidan and Azadeh Faroughi
Smart Cities 2022, 5(4), 1293-1311; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities5040066 - 27 Sep 2022
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 10578
Abstract
Traffic is one of the indispensable problems of modern societies, which leads to undesirable consequences such as time wasting and greater possibility of accidents. Adaptive Traffic Signal Control (ATSC), as a key part of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), plays a key role in [...] Read more.
Traffic is one of the indispensable problems of modern societies, which leads to undesirable consequences such as time wasting and greater possibility of accidents. Adaptive Traffic Signal Control (ATSC), as a key part of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), plays a key role in reducing traffic congestion by real-time adaptation to dynamic traffic conditions. Moreover, these systems are integrated with Internet of Things (IoT) devices. IoT can lead to easy implementation of traffic management systems. Recently, the combination of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the IoT has attracted the attention of many researchers and can process large amounts of data that are suitable for solving complex real-world problems about traffic control. In this paper, we worked on the real-world scenario of Shiraz City, which currently does not use any intelligent method and works based on fixed-time traffic signal scheduling. We applied IoT approaches and AI techniques to control traffic lights more efficiently, which is an essential part of the ITS. Specifically, sensors such as surveillance cameras were used to capture real-time traffic information for the intelligent traffic signal control system. In fact, an intelligent traffic signal control system is provided by utilizing distributed Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) and applying the traffic data of adjacent intersections along with local information. By using MARL, our goal was to improve the overall traffic of six signalized junctions of Shiraz City in Iran. We conducted numerical simulations for two synthetic intersections by simulated data and for a real-world map of Shiraz City with real-world traffic data received from the transportation and municipality traffic organization and compared it with the traditional system running in Shiraz. The simulation results show that our proposed approach performs more efficiently than the fixed-time traffic signal control scheduling implemented in Shiraz in terms of average vehicle queue lengths and waiting times at intersections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Career Researchers’ Contributions in Smart Cities)
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