Environmentally sustainable smart cities and their converging AI, IoT, and big data technologies and solutions: an integrated approach to an extensive literature review

Abstract

There have recently been intensive efforts aimed at addressing the challenges of environmental degradation and climate change through the applied innovative solutions of AI, IoT, and Big Data. Given the synergistic potential of these advanced technologies, their convergence is being embraced and leveraged by smart cities in an attempt to make progress toward reaching the environmental targets of sustainable development goals under what has been termed “environmentally sustainable smart cities.” This new paradigm of urbanism represents a significant research gap in and of itself. To fill this gap, this study explores the key research trends and driving factors of environmentally sustainable smart cities and maps their thematic evolution. Further, it examines the fragmentation, amalgamation, and transition of their underlying models of urbanism as well as their converging AI, IoT, and Big Data technologies and solutions. It employs and combines bibliometric analysis and evidence synthesis methods. A total of 2,574 documents were collected from the Web of Science database and compartmentalized into three sub-periods: 1991–2015, 2016–2019, and 2020–2021. The results show that environmentally sustainable smart cities are a rapidly growing trend that markedly escalated during the second and third periods—due to the acceleration of the digitalization and decarbonization agendas—thanks to COVID-19 and the rapid advancement of data-driven technologies. The analysis also reveals that, while the overall priority research topics have been dynamic over time—some AI models and techniques and environmental sustainability areas have received more attention than others. The evidence synthesized indicates that the increasing criticism of the fragmentation of smart cities and sustainable cities, the widespread diffusion of the SDGs agenda, and the dominance of advanced ICT have significantly impacted the materialization of environmentally sustainable smart cities, thereby influencing the landscape and dynamics of smart cities. It also suggests that the convergence of AI, IoT, and Big Data technologies provides new approaches to tackling the challenges of environmental sustainability. However, these technologies involve environmental costs and pose ethical risks and regulatory conundrums. The findings can inform scholars and practitioners of the emerging data-driven technology solutions of smart cities, as well as assist policymakers in designing and implementing responsive environmental policies.

Integration of AI and IoT into Corporate Social Responsibility Strategies for Financial Risk Management and Sustainable Development

“…The investigation by Zakaria Boulouard and colleagues delves into the role of AI and IoT in fostering sustainable development within emerging economies, underscoring the opportunities and hurdles these innovations present (Boulouard et al 2022). Furthermore, a thorough literature review by Bibri and associates zeroes in on the creation of eco-friendly smart cities through the fusion of AI, IoT, and extensive data utilization (Bibri et al 2023). Additionally, Dias and colleagues scrutinize AI and IoT implementations in smart urban environments, highlighting the crucial process of converting data into actionable insights (Dias et al 2023).…”

“…While existing studies have highlighted the functional benefits of these technologies across various domains, including urban planning, logistics, and industrial operations, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis of their integration into CSR strategies for enhancing sustainable practices within financial sectors. Notable contributions by Zakaria Boulouard et al (2022), Bibri et al (2023), and Dias et al (2023) have focused on the operational aspects of AI and IoT but have not delved into their strategic applications in sustainable development frameworks (Boulouard et al 2022;Bibri et al 2023;Dias et al 2023).…”

Research Trends in the Use of the Internet of Things in Sustainability Practices: A Systematic Review

“…To address the challenges of environmental degradation and climate change, innovative solutions such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), IoT, and big data have been developed [2,3]. The Internet of Things (IoT) is gaining popularity and is being adopted in various fields, ranging from industry to everyday life [4].…”

“…This is attributed not only to the use of wearable devices, which enable constant health monitoring and are utilized in many aspects to enhance quality of life [5], but also to new urbanization methods and trends. These include the use of green infrastructure technologies and designs supported by IoT tools and devices [3]. In order to improve sustainable construction through the adoption of appropriate technologies in the fourth and fifth industrial revolutions [6], it is important to consider the use of IoT.…”

The Metaverse as a Virtual Model of Platform Urbanism: Its Converging AIoT, XReality, Neurotech, and Nanobiotech and Their Applications, Challenges, and Risks

“…This paradigm reflects the ways in which the socio-technical imaginaries of smart cities will evolve, and their alternatives may be shaped by fictional representations. It is an evolution of smart urbanism [6], i.e., "the distinctive features of the experience of everyday life in cities" [7] whose smart processes and practices are being highly responsive to a form of AI and AIoT driven urbanism [8,9] and platform urbanism [5] alike. Smart urbanism is concerned with the infrastructural, functional, service-oriented, and governmental components that can be digitally retrofitted, upgraded, and even "twinned" [10].…”