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Sustainability
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Smart Cities: IoT and Sustainability as Drivers for Future Developments
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Smart Cities: IoT and Sustainability as Drivers for Future Developments

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 3724

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jorge Marx Gómez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Computing Science, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
Interests: smart cities; internet of things; intelligent solutions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Andreas Solsbach

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Computing Science, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
Interests: smart cities; internet of things; intelligent solutions; sustainability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The public, cities and municipalities are increasingly recognizing that changes in climate, the impact of energy policy and the steady trend of digitalization require an adaptation of action and use of resources. To this end, smart solutions are often deployed, or Internet of Things technologies are used to support changes in the way resources and energies are traded, e.g., controlling appliances to make better use of renewable energy. This journal will present and discuss contributions that address trends and future developments from the perspective of Internet of Things and sustainability for smart cities. Authors are invited to present example applications, technological developments and smart applications that enable improved resource and/or data management.

The intelligent handling of data will be a key prerequisite for creating transparency and, at the same time, supporting resource-saving actions; for example, the requirement to install smart meters (mandatory since 2020 for electricity customers between 6,000 and 100,000 kWh or households generating more than 7 kilowatts of electricity in Germany; a digital or smart meter will be mandatory from 2032) does not yet entail any improvement in resource consumption.

Dr. Jorge Marx Gómez
Dr. Andreas Solsbach
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.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 2218 KiB  
Article
An Architecture for Workplace Learning Analytics (WLA) to Support Lifelong Learning in Sustainable Smart Organisations
by Alyssa Whale and Brenda Scholtz
Sustainability 2024, 16(9), 3595; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16093595 - 25 Apr 2024
Viewed by 309
Abstract
An environment that supports lifelong learning contributes to the sustainability of the organisations in a Smart City, their stakeholders and ultimately, the city itself. Workplace Learning Analytics (WLA) can provide an organisation’s employees with the opportunity for lifelong learning in the workplace to [...] Read more.
An environment that supports lifelong learning contributes to the sustainability of the organisations in a Smart City, their stakeholders and ultimately, the city itself. Workplace Learning Analytics (WLA) can provide an organisation’s employees with the opportunity for lifelong learning in the workplace to enhance their skills and knowledge in their current and/or future roles. It uses the data generated by Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs) and other learning platforms to provide support for data-driven decision-making to gain a competitive edge. One of the components of successful and sustainable WLA is a layered architecture. The purpose of this paper is to present the design of a WLA architecture that can be used in organisations to impact successful WLA. This architecture was developed from the results of evaluating four potentially relevant architectures for WLA. The evaluation consisted of three phases. In the first phase, the architectures were evaluated using the DeLone and McLean Model of Information Systems Success. In the second phase, a real-world case of an organisation that provides lifelong learning opportunities to its stakeholders was used to validate the findings of the first phase. The proposed Layered Architecture for WLA was further validated in the third phase where a focus group discussion was held with participants from the real-world context. The architecture can provide valuable guidance to both practitioners and researchers to improve the success of WLA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Cities: IoT and Sustainability as Drivers for Future Developments)
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32 pages, 7285 KiB  
Article
Interpretable Bike-Sharing Activity Prediction with a Temporal Fusion Transformer to Unveil Influential Factors: A Case Study in Hamburg, Germany
by Sebastian Rühmann, Stephan Leible and Tom Lewandowski
Sustainability 2024, 16(8), 3230; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083230 - 12 Apr 2024
Viewed by 567
Abstract
Bike-sharing systems (BSS) have emerged as an increasingly important form of transportation in smart cities, playing a pivotal role in the evolving landscape of urban mobility. As cities worldwide strive to promote sustainable and efficient transportation options, BSS offer a flexible, eco-friendly alternative [...] Read more.
Bike-sharing systems (BSS) have emerged as an increasingly important form of transportation in smart cities, playing a pivotal role in the evolving landscape of urban mobility. As cities worldwide strive to promote sustainable and efficient transportation options, BSS offer a flexible, eco-friendly alternative that complements traditional public transport systems. These systems, however, are complex and influenced by a myriad of endogenous and exogenous factors. This complexity poses challenges in predicting BSS activity and optimizing its usage and effectiveness. This study delves into the dynamics of the BSS in Hamburg, Germany, focusing on system stability and activity prediction. We propose an interpretable attention-based Temporal Fusion Transformer (TFT) model and compare its performance with the state-of-the-art Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model. The proposed TFT model outperforms the LSTM model with a 36.8% improvement in RMSE and overcomes current black-box models via interpretability. Via detailed analysis, key factors influencing bike-sharing activity, especially in terms of temporal and spatial contexts, are identified, examined, and evaluated. Based on the results, we propose interventions and a deployed TFT model that can improve the effectiveness of BSS. This research contributes to the evolving field of sustainable urban mobility via data analysis for data-informed decision-making. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Cities: IoT and Sustainability as Drivers for Future Developments)
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23 pages, 1143 KiB  
Article
Wearables and Their Potential to Transform Health Management: A Step towards Sustainable Development Goal 3
by Lydia Izu, Brenda Scholtz and Ifeoluwapo Fashoro
Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 1850; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16051850 - 23 Feb 2024
Viewed by 823
Abstract
In the era of rapid technological advancement, wearables have emerged as a promising tool for enhancing health and well-being. The convergence of health and technology drives an unprecedented change in the approach to health and well-being management. This paper aims to provide a [...] Read more.
In the era of rapid technological advancement, wearables have emerged as a promising tool for enhancing health and well-being. The convergence of health and technology drives an unprecedented change in the approach to health and well-being management. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential role of wearables in actualising health and well-being, thereby paving the way for a healthier and more sustainable future. Using the Affordance Theory lens, this paper delves into the transformative potential of wearables in health and well-being management, thereby promoting Sustainable Development Goal 3 to ensure healthy lives and well-being for all at all ages. The thematic analysis of online reviews on wearable devices captured through web scraping was carried out to explore the potential of these devices in the management of health and well-being. The paper explored how wearables, often integrated into everyday life, can monitor vital signs, track fitness metrics, and even provide therapeutic benefits for health and well-being. The findings reveal that wearables can empower individuals to take charge of their health by leveraging real-time data and personalised feedback, promoting a proactive and preventive approach to health management and resource-effective healthcare. Furthermore, the paper highlights how wearables can contribute to long-term health outcomes for the present generation without exerting excessive strain on the resources for future generations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Cities: IoT and Sustainability as Drivers for Future Developments)
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28 pages, 1616 KiB  
Article
A Digital Transformation Framework for Smart Municipalities
by Anthea van der Hoogen, Ifeoluwapo Fashoro, Andre P. Calitz and Lamla Luke
Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1320; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031320 - 04 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1007
Abstract
Smart cities, as defined by Sustainable Development Goal 11, strive to make cities more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Digital technologies addresses urbanisation concerns, such as rising energy use, pollution, waste disposal, and social inequities. The Internet of Things (IoT) and data-driven technologies [...] Read more.
Smart cities, as defined by Sustainable Development Goal 11, strive to make cities more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Digital technologies addresses urbanisation concerns, such as rising energy use, pollution, waste disposal, and social inequities. The Internet of Things (IoT) and data-driven technologies are essential drivers, with a focus on infrastructure and decision-making in smart cities and municipalities. Digital Transformation (DT) is a prerequisite for becoming a Smart Municipality. The research objective of this paper is to investigate the role of digital technologies in improving urban processes, focusing on Smart City dimensions for municipalities, namely smart governance, environment, living, and technology. Municipalities in South Africa, particularly in the Eastern Cape, used digital adoption to boost productivity and skill development. However, the need for standardised DT principles presents problems for transitioning municipalities into data-driven organisations. The paper also examines the global energy issue and how smart cities can contribute to energy solutions. Finally, the paper addresses the following research question: ‘How can lessons learned from the Eastern Cape Municipalities digital adoption be scaled to other developing nations facing similar challenges in energy management and urban planning?’ Using a survey method, it provides guidelines in the DT framework, offering empirical insights into Smart Municipality digitalisation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Cities: IoT and Sustainability as Drivers for Future Developments)
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