A Methodology to Model Integrated Smart City System from the Information Perspective

Abstract

Rapid urban population growth challenges cities and sustainable urban development. Despite the effort deployed with conventional urban design, the current solutions are unable to significantly respond to existing challenges. The concept of smart city (SC) has been gaining popularity and cities have developed strong interest for transformation into SCs. However, given that a city is both a complex system of systems and a dynamic complex environment, achieving a state of SC can be challenging. Urban transformation into smart city has been straggling and has shown contrasting and disconnected views. Many studies have covered the design and modelling of an SC, but their focus has been mostly thematic and lack an integrated view of a smart city system. This study presents a methodology helped by a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approach and Systems Modelling Language (SysML) to develop a model of an integrated SC system. The model brings all subsystems to operate together in one system and focuses on the information perspective of a city system. Three scenarios are presented to illustrate how an integrated information platform can be a gateway and easy access to information in an SC system, as well as a starting point towards modelling an integrated SC system.

Information Integration in a Smart City System—A Case Study on Air Pollution Removal by Green Infrastructure through a Vehicle Smart Routing System

“…This work explored general practices of smart city development and noted that significant work has been done to enable a better understanding of the smart city concept but also observed that existing approaches on the smart city system lacked an integrative view and linkage in architecture [25]. It presented an integrative method that highlights information integration, albeit with extent limited to the focus of this study, in a smart city system which brings mobility information and environmental information to work together and inform citizens.…”

“…Green infrastructure (urban trees in our case), as an integral part of the smart environment [31], plays an important role in cleaning the air we breathe, and urban trees are one potential solution, among others, to help mitigate air pollution depending on tree cover. This work explored general practices of smart city development and noted that significant work has been done to enable a better understanding of the smart city concept but also observed that existing approaches on the smart city system lacked an integrative view and linkage in architecture [25]. It presented an integrative method that highlights information integration, albeit with extent limited to the focus of this study, in a smart city system which brings mobility information and environmental information to work together and inform citizens.…”

“…A combination of route characteristics and green infrastructure produces a smart routing system that rather valorises air pollution removal by green infrastructures. There is evidence of a growing demand for both system integration of the smart city system and solutions to deal with pollution generated by traffic [25]. This work proposes a solution that is helped by combined information in a smart city on green infrastructure and vehicle smart routing to contribute to air pollution removal from the air.…”

Exploring the Influence of an Urban Water System on Housing Prices: Case Study of Zhengzhou

“…As information and communication technologies (ICTs) have become a key tool for cities to enhance innovation and to improve the management of urban services [35][36][37], it would be interesting as future research avenues to introduce how the advent of smart cities can be used to couple with the management of water systems to promote the surrounding living environment. For example, by collecting social media check-in data related to a certain water system, the feelings of residents about the water, and what needs to be improved to enhance the resident experience and services can be analyzed.…”

Strength Performance and Microstructure of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement-Stabilized Soft Soil

“…On the other hand, OPC poses significant environmental concerns associated with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions released during its manufacturing process. With the annually increased consumption of OPC, there is a strong need for sustainable development [26][27][28]. To improve the performance of cement-based materials and reduce CO2 emissions, special types of cement were applied as an alternative to OPC in certain situations, in which calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement has attracted attention [29][30][31][32].…”