Search Results (53)

This paper presents an integrated Smart City platform that combines digital twin technology, advanced machine learning, and a private blockchain network to enhance data-driven decision making and operational efficiency in both public enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The proposed cloud-based business intelligence model automates Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) processes, enables real-time analytics, and secures data integrity and transparency through blockchain-enabled audit trails. By implementing the proposed solution, Smart City and public service providers can significantly improve operational efficiency, including a 15% reduction in costs and a 12% decrease in fuel consumption for waste management, as well as increased citizen engagement and transparency in Smart City governance. The digital twin component facilitated scenario simulations and proactive resource management, while the participatory governance module empowered citizens through transparent, immutable records of proposals and voting. This study also discusses technical, organizational, and regulatory challenges, such as data integration, scalability, and privacy compliance. The results indicate that the proposed approach offers a scalable and sustainable model for Smart City transformation, fostering citizen trust, regulatory compliance, and measurable environmental and social benefits. Full article

Citizen engagement in urban planning is vital for democratic governance and sustainable development. While technologies such as e-governance platforms and mobile applications have facilitated participatory processes, their success ultimately hinges on citizen acceptance. This study investigates the factors influencing female citizens’ acceptance of a participatory urban planning application, employing a theoretical model based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and its associated hypotheses. Data were collected through a survey of 390 women and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS_3.2.8. The results demonstrate that perceived usefulness (β = 0.634, p < 0.001) and perceived ease of use (β = 0.321, p < 0.001) significantly predict intention to use, whereas perceived privacy risk exerts a negative influence (β = −0.190, p < 0.001). Environmental attitude (β = 0.396, p < 0.001) and attitude toward participation (β = 0.315, p < 0.001) also enhance perceived usefulness. Due to the impact of the environmental and participatory attitudes of citizens and their social environment on their acceptance of these apps, there is an urgent need to increase the level of citizen awareness and knowledge through targeted education. These findings offer valuable insights for both theoretical advancement and practical policy development in regards to urban governance. Full article

Smart furniture (smart cities) can provide publicity, mobility services and local government communication, among many other services; however, its use for improving the quality of life of the elderly (extended IP-spaces concept) can be further researched. This paper describes the first step in a collaborative design of a smart city platform based on this concept. This design requires a layered design, as it includes architectonic, artistic, technological and social aspects. Participatory design (PD) and participatory action research (PAR) methodologies were selected to include the elderly in the design to ensure the acceptance and usability of the system. During this specific design process, three groups of elderly people from three geographic points of Spain were recruited. PD was applied to capture the users’ preferences and general specifications regarding the architectonic aspect of the project, while PAR was used to capture these groups’ quality-of-life needs, determine the initial acceptance of the project and define the initial activities to be realized for mitigating the detected needs. The application of these qualitative methodologies should produce a user-centric, valuable but local (specific) design. As more groups and towns will be involved, the new local designs will build a bigger set of validated solutions that potentially could be customized and reused for other contexts. Full article

Citizen participation plays a critical role in the transformation towards citizen-centered smart cities, ensuring resilience, inclusivity, and responsiveness to community needs. Smart cities, while often associated with technological infrastructures and digital tools, also adopt a human-cepntered perspective that emphasizes the social and participatory dimensions of smart urban development. Engaging residents in these initiatives not only facilitates the acquisition of valuable insights but also strengthens the foundation for equitable urban development. However, the participatory process often encounters significant barriers that hinder its effectiveness, posing challenges to the creation of truly inclusive and citizen-centered smart cities. This paper analyzes the participatory processes and outcomes of two case studies, URBANAGE and drOp, both of which follow a Human-Centered Design approach and have implemented targeted actions to address participation challenges. This article explains the methodologies and processes followed in these projects and identifies key lessons learnt from their experiences and examining the impact of participatory processes on project outcomes. Lastly, it proposes practical guidelines to enhance the effectiveness of citizen involvement in future smart city initiatives. Despite their focus on different citizen groups and objectives, both case studies faced similar obstacles in fostering meaningful participation and awareness. Full article

Many cities are developing semantic 3D models as digital representation of their environment to assess the outcomes of the implementation of new mobility services before their real-life piloting. So far, digital twins have reinforced evidence-based approaches for policy-making. The purpose of this paper is to present how digital twins can be used as a tool for vulnerable citizen engagement, improving efficiency of co-creation in mobility planning. An innovative methodological approach of integrating digital twins in engagement processes, by transforming them from real-time data-driven replicas, targeted to the facilitation of the decision-making process for the public authorities to a tool for enhancing citizen engagement in the mobility context has been developed and tested in Thessaloniki Smart Mobility Living Lab. Through a 3-steps workshops’ approach, the mobility needs set by vulnerable users are collected, prioritized and matched with policy plans. By combining citizens feedback with real-time data incorporated in digital twins, citizens receive back visualized scenarios of the impact of specific mobility measures on their neighborhoods. By lifting the citizen engagement in mobility planning to the next participatory level, the results of the study create a bridge between participatory processes and digital twins. Full article

Rapid population growth, rising food demand, and climate change have created significant challenges to meet the water demands for agriculture. Effective irrigation water management is essential to address the world’s water crisis. The transition from conventional, frequently ineffective gravity-driven irrigations to contemporary, pressure-driven precision irrigation methods are explored in this article, addressing the difficulties associated with water-intensive irrigation, the possibility of updating conventional techniques, and the developments in smart and precision irrigation technologies. This study comprehensively analyses published literature of 150 articles from the year 2005 to 2024, based on titles, abstract, and conclusions that contain keywords such as precision irrigation scheduling, water-saving technologies, and smart irrigation systems, in addition to providing potential solutions to achieve sustainable development goals and smart agricultural production systems. Moreover, it explores the fundamentals and processes of smart irrigation, such as open- and closed-loop control, precision monitoring and control systems, and smart monitoring methods based on soil data, plant water status, weather data, remote sensing, and participatory irrigation management. Likewise, to emphasize the potential of these technologies for a more sustainable agricultural future, several smart techniques, including IoT, wireless sensor networks, deep learning, and fuzzy logic, and their effects on crop performance and water conservation across various crops are discussed. The review concludes by summarizing the limitations and challenges of implementing precision irrigation systems and AI in agriculture along with highlighting the relationship of adopting precision irrigation and ultimately achieving various sustainable development goals (SDGs). Full article

This paper discusses the use of IoT sensor networks and spatial data mining methods to support the design process in the revitalization of the university campus of the Warsaw University of Technology (WUT) in the spirit of universal design. The aim of the research was to develop a methodology for the use of IoT and edge computing for the acquisition of spatial knowledge based on spatial big data, as well as for the development of an open (geo)information society that shares the responsibility for the process of shaping the spaces of smart cities. The purpose of the article is to verify the hypothesis on whether it is possible to obtain spatial–temporal quantitative data that are useful in the process of designing the space of a university campus using low-cost Internet of Things sensors, i.e., already existing networks of CCTV cameras supported by simple installed beam-crossing sensors. The methodological approach proposed in the article combines two main areas—the use of IT technologies (IoT, big data, spatial data mining) and data-driven design based on analysis of urban space actors’ behavior for participatory revitalization of a university campus. The research method applied involves placing a network of locally communicating heterogeneous IoT sensors in the space of a campus. These sensors collect data on the behavior of urban space actors: people and vehicles. The data collected and the knowledge gained from its analysis are used to discuss the shape of the campus space. The testbed of the developed methodology was the central campus of the WUT (Warsaw University of Technology), which made it possible to analyze the time-varying use of the selected campus spaces and to identify the premises for the revitalization project in accordance with contemporary trends in the design of the space of HEIs (higher education institutions), as well as the needs of the academic community and the residents of the capital. The results are used not only to optimize the process of redesigning the WUT campus, but also to support the process of discussion and activation of the community in the development of deliberative democracy and participatory shaping of space in general. Full article

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research has illuminated how technology can influence users’ awareness of their environmental impact and the potential for mitigating these impacts. From hot water saving to food waste reduction, researchers have systematically and widely tried to find pathways to speed up achieving sustainable development goals through persuasive technology interventions. However, motivating users to adopt sustainable behaviors through interactive technologies presents significant psychological, cultural, and technical challenges in creating engaging and long-lasting experiences. Aligned with this perspective, there is a dearth of research and design solutions addressing the use of persuasive technology to promote sustainable recycling behavior. Guided by a participatory design approach, this investigation focuses on the design opportunities for leveraging persuasive and human-centered Internet of Things (IoT) applications to enhance user engagement in recycling activities. The assumption is that one pathway to achieve this goal is to adopt persuasive strategies that may be incorporated into the design of sustainable applications. The insights gained from this process can then be applied to various sustainable HCI scenarios and therefore contribute to HCI’s limited understanding in this area by providing a series of design-oriented research recommendations for informing the development of persuasive and socially engaged recycling platforms. In particular, we advocate for the inclusion of educational content, real-time interactive feedback, and intuitive interfaces to actively engage users in recycling activities. Moreover, recognizing the cultural context in which the technology is socially situated becomes imperative for the effective implementation of smart devices to foster sustainable recycling practices. To this end, we present a case study that seeks to involve children and adolescents in pro-recycling activities within the school environment. Full article

In the context of China’s community governance, as a result of the insufficient willingness and ability of residents to participate, most communities have formed a “strong political–weak social” governance structure, which limits the effective expansion of social capital. To address this challenge and promote resident participation, achieving a “strong social and political” transformation in governance structure has become a core issue in current research. Meanwhile, “sense of community” serves as a crucial perspective in this research, which remains to be deepened in domestic studies and needs to consider the impact of emerging factors such as smart technologies. This study innovatively introduces affective events theory (AET), constructing a theoretical model and taking Wuhan as an example. By adopting quantitative and case comparison research methods, the paper delves into the factors influencing Wuhan residents’ sense of community in the context of a smart society and the promoting role of smart governance. On the basis of the findings, this paper presents the following conclusions: (1) Communities should attribute equal importance to the construction of both traditional and smart environments while reinforcing the leading and participatory roles of community administrators; (2) In the community’s daily governance processes, equal focus and importance must be attributed to both service delivery and engagement; (3) Communities must acknowledge the individual distinctions among residents and implement tailored governing strategies accordingly; (4) The government should prioritize the research and development of smart applications while boosting financial investments in the creation and operation of smart communities. Full article

In the development of complex embedded interactive systems, a tension arises between, on the one hand, ever shorter and highly iterative design processes, and, on the other hand, the need for user testing with early prototypes to validate systems from a user-centred design perspective. This study focuses on the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) into prototyping embedded interactive systems, examining its potential to bridge the gap between rapid prototyping and user-centered design validation. Adopting a comparative research approach, we analyze a case study: the development of a cultural smart city experience. It juxtaposes in situ, low-fidelity prototype testing with VR-based testing, evaluating their realism, interactivity, functionality, presence and task difficulty. This mixed-method research design incorporates both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, engaging 27 design students in a comparative study, conducting participatory research and 8 expert interviews. These findings reveal divergent roles in field testing and VR in the new product development process, highlighting VR’s strengths in visualizing procedures and facilitating discussion. This study identifies the limitations of VR in mimicking realistic interactions and incorporating social context yet underscores its superiority over paper prototypes in its realism and interactivity. Where field testing can hold broader contextual insights, the VR prototype gives more concrete and applied insights. The main advantage of VR testing is its visualisation of procedures and its final materialisation according to the participants interviewed. According to the experts interviewed, VR can be used as a useful tool within the development process especially for visualisation and testing user flows of complex interfaces. Full article

The overarching vision of Society 5.0 seeks to integrate technology to enhance quality of life and address social issues, with the primary goal of creating human-centered communities, which nowadays represent the inhabitants of smart cities. In this context, this work addresses the design of a modular strategic platform for the smart supervision of public expenditure, to be used by the Directorate of Information, Analysis, and Immediate Reaction (DIARI) of the General Comptroller of the Republic (CGR) of Colombia as a significant contribution towards the country’s transition into Society 5.0. The design was performed by conducting a detailed literature review on fiscal control; performing a comprehensive analysis of the legal, organizational, and technological aspects of the country and the CGR; and developing six functional modules focused on topics such as continuous learning, strategic decision making, distinctive value, strategic achievements, capacity building, and organization, within a three-year implementation plan, through a participatory approach. This plan aims to integrate the platform to enable real-time monitoring, early detection of irregularities, and increased transparency in the management of data and public resources; since the start of the operation of the strategic platform in 2024, the DIARI increased the number of alerts generated by 29% over a three-month period with respect to the year 2023. The strategic platform for the DIARI of the CGR is useful for smart cities and the transition into Society 5.0 since it ensures efficient public expenditure management, enhancing transparency and citizen empowerment through modern technologies, data analytics, and active participation in governance processes. Full article

This paper explores participatory design methods for the interconnection of digital recording techniques, like digital photogrammetry and Gaussian splatting, with emerging domains such as the metaverse and blockchain technology. The focus lies in community engagement and the economic growth of urban and rural areas through blockchain integration, utilizing low-cost digitalization methods to create Web3 environments mirroring real settlements. Through a case study of an Italian village, the potential of participatory design and community-led development strategies in revitalizing neglected areas are explored, and the use of low-cost drone-based photogrammetry and Gaussian splatting in digitization are compared, highlighting their advantages and drawbacks considering the aim of this work, i.e., the creation of an interactive metaverse space. Ultimately, the study underscores the transformative role of digital technologies in reshaping design processes and fostering community development through a workflow, stressing collaborative decision-making and blockchain-driven economy, manufacturing, and maintenance through self-ownership models and performance-based smart contracts. Full article

In the face of challenges like heatwaves, flooding, other extreme events, as well as increasing pollution and declining quality of life in cities, there is a growing demand for the preservation and expansion of urban green spaces, often driven by citizen-led transformations. This paper examines 100 urban greening projects initiated or supported by citizens globally, categorizing them according to the type of greenery, the stakeholders involved, the mode of implementation, and the use of smart technologies incorporated. We notice variations in green endeavors based on the stakeholders orchestrating them; most of the entirely citizen-led initiatives being aimed at the creation of urban farms and food growing, demonstrating the pressing need to secure food and self-determination in communities. More than half of the assessed initiatives that managed to scale up and multiply had public authorities providing a framework or a type of support for their development or an NGO or other organization providing expertise and mobilizing citizens at various stages. In terms of technological use, we mostly found that websites and social media platforms ease participatory endeavors and knowledge sharing of best practices, accelerating scaling efforts, while there is low integration of more advanced digital technologies, which, if used, could enable real-time monitoring of green spaces, inform evidence-based decision-making, and streamline processes in scaling up green initiatives. Full article

Based on the assumption that citizens can participate in smart city development, this paper aims to capture the diversity of their profiles and their positioning towards smart city dynamics. The article starts with a literature review of some models of citizens to better understand how they could be portrayed in the smart city era. Considering that there is no “general citizen” and that usual typologies remain restrictive, we construct tailor-made personas, i.e., fictitious profiles based on real data. To this end, we present the results of a large-scale survey distributed to highly educated Walloon people in the framework of a general public exhibition. The profiling focuses on three aspects: (1) perception of smart city dimensions, (2) intended behavior regarding smart city solutions, and (3) favorite participatory methods. The collected answers were first analyzed with descriptive and nonparametric statistics, then classified with a k-means cluster analysis. The main results are five personas, which highlight the coexistence of different citizen groups that think and behave in a specific way. This process of profiling citizens’ priorities, behaviors, and participatory preferences can help professional designers and local governments to consider various citizens’ perspectives in the design of future smart solutions and participatory processes. Full article

The current global food system is under threat due to significant global changes such as rapid urbanization, climate change, COVID-19 outbreak, etc. The importance of food system sustainability as a key element of sustainable cities has been gradually recognized in recent years; however, the tools for estimating food system sustainability in cities (i.e., urban food system sustainability) holistically are still scarce. Thus, this study represents a comprehensive investigation into food system studies and their impacts on achieving a sustainable community or city. This study is a subset of larger studies that aim to develop an urban food system framework, which utilizes modern approaches in framework development such as sustainability food indicators and a participatory approach. However, to achieve this, trends, gaps, and challenges of the current approach to food system studies need to be reviewed and discussed. A systematic analysis utilizing the protocol of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach was conducted, and network analysis of publications was performed via VOS viewer. The results suggest applying circular principles and merging smartness and resilience thinking in developing strategies for food system sustainability. This study finds that key drivers to mitigate food crisis among countries vary. Furthermore, a context-specific framework with a more comprehensive definition of urban food systems covering the institutional processes, and food governance are also needed to achieve urban food system sustainability. Full article