Keywords

1 Introduction

When the United States Community Analysis Bureau employed records, aerial photography, and cluster inquiry to gather data, report issues, and allocate resources to direct services, minimize ruins, and decrease poverty, the smart city was born. A smart city employs information and communication technology (ICT) to increase operational efficiency, exchange information with the public, and deliver improved governmental life quality and service for the good of its citizens.

In the many sectors of urban systems, the environment and economics, the range of smart city application fields is very broad. The provision of real-time information regarding smart city components is critical for the operation of various useful apps and services, as well as for improving smart city performance and citizens’ quality of life in the direction of a sustainable environment (Abou El Seoud 2019).

2 Methods of Research

2.1 Aim of Research

Smart cities should stipulate: an urban environment that provides citizens with a good quality of life while moreover producing economic progression. This is especially crucial in view of future urban population increase, which will necessitate more effective use of infrastructure and assets. Citizens will enjoy an improved quality of life as a result of this. The research aims to: highlight smart cities prospects, determine how technology is resolving confronts for better anticipate the future, provide an intellectual approach on how to establish a smart city towards better quality of life, make cites inclusive, resilient and sustainable.

The study explores the following questions:

  • What are the benefits of smart cities?

  • What are the implications of applying smart city approach?

  • The possibility of benefiting from technology to better quality of life.

2.2 Methodology of Research

The research followed analytical application methodology.

It is divided into three main parts:

  • First part: theoretical part focuses on the characteristics of smart cities, and the ways to find relationship between people who are familiarity with the technology to improve the different life aspects, investigate smart city possibilities and how technology is addressing challenges.

  • Second part: global case studies were introduced and used to get lessons, focus on the characteristics of smart cities.

  • The third part: the research deducted and suggests a 3-d intellectual model, focuses on improving, practice by assisting smart solutions, underlying its role in sustainability development for the smart cities.

3 Definition of Smart City

A smart city retains information and communication technology (ICT) to increase operating effectiveness, sharing within the public all data, and develop government service and citizen welfare (https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/what-is-a-smart-city).

A smart city, is defined as: “a place where traditional networks and services are made more efficient via the use of digital and communications technologies for the benefit of its citizens and businesses,” according to the European Commission.

Smart cities employ—Internet of Things “IoT” to collect real-time data in order to better understand how demand patterns are changing and respond with more efficient and cost-effective solutions. According to IoT trends, the number of linked devices globally will reach 75 billion by 2025 (Harmon et al. 2015). The growing number of interconnected things creates a massive amount of data that the city can evaluate locally to make better decisions about what modifications or new initiatives would benefit citizens the most (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1
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Internet of Things (IoT) applications in the city (https://www.scnsoft.com/blog/iot-for-smart-city-use-cases-approaches-outcomes)

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Smart cities can also be defined as cities that rely on electronic technologies developed during the information technology era, beginning with the digital city and progressing through the electronic city, virtual city, and finally knowledge city, given that knowledge is the most comprehensive framework for data and information (Al-Qadi et al. 2018).

A smart city is one that makes usage of information and communication technologies to enhance people’s lives, in order to compete, cities must improve all elements of their operations and services (Toli et al.2020). These benefits should be represented in satisfying the economic, social, environmental, and cultural requirements of current and future generations (Lacinák et al. 2017). It has a number of benefits, which vary according on the technology utilized, the level of integration, the data collected, and how this data is used to offer the information needed to make the best decisions (Narh, 2018).

4 Importance of Smart City

The primary goal of a smart city is to improve city functions and stimulate economic growth while also improving people’s quality of life through the use of smart technologies and data analysis (Fig. 2). The value of technology is determined by how it is used rather than how much technology is available.

Fig. 2
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Importance of smart city (https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/what-is-a-smart-city)

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4.1 Aims of Smart Cities

  • Improving the population’s quality of life and delivering the greatest available services, whether in the areas of transportation, communications, the environment, information technology, or education.

  • Governments must take full responsibility for turning this experiment into a genuine life model capable of lowering crises through the use of contemporary technology systems, in collaboration with city people and their cooperation.

  • Massive population growth and significant pollution levels.

4.2 Challenges of Smart Cities

While the work of creating and maintaining a data-driven environment is outside the purview of local governments, the success of a smart city is dependent on collaboration between the public and commercial sectors. Furthermore, data analysts must assess the data generated by smart city technologies in order to discover any problems and make improvements (https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/what-is-a-smart-city).

Government officials enabling widespread civilian participation is one of the challenges to overcome. Residents must also collaborate with the private and public sectors so that everyone may contribute positively to the community.

5 How Smart Cities Work

In four steps, smart cities leverage a network of connected IoT devices and other technology to improve people’s lives and spur economic growth (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3
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Characteristics of smart city. https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/what-is-a-smart-city

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5.1 Smart Cities and Sustainability

The smart city concept is to use ICT to improve citizens’ quality of life by improving city performance and increasing the city’s level of sustainability (Ghonimi, 2021). The smart notion can be used to any form of sustainable city effort that aims to help the city achieve its long-term goals while also improving quality of life (Abou el Seoud 2019).

As smart cities strive to increase efficiencies in metropolitan areas and promote human wellbeing, sustainability is an important consideration. Cities have a number of environmental benefits, as smaller geographic footprints, but they also have certain drawbacks, such as the usage of fossil fuels to power them (Repko et al. 2012). One of important Smart solutions; the development of an electric transportation system to cut emissions, could help mitigate these detrimental effects. Developing sustainable solutions has the potential to help both the environment and society (Kumar, 2018).

6 International Case Studies

Cities all across the world are developing and deploying smart technology at various stages. However, there are a few who are ahead with this experience and are paving the way for truly smart cities (https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/top-10-growing-smart-cities).

This paper will present two international case studies: Singapore and Atlanta, the analysis of each case study will include: General city overview, Smart Nation vision, aims, and how to achieve this vision, and it will end with the advantages of each case to be as lessons learned in order to find the solutions to help sustainable development and to make smart cities successful to improve the quality of the life.

6.1 Case Study 1: Singapore, Republic of Singapore (Table 1)

Table 1 Case study 1. Singapore
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Singapore has adopted a number of smart city initiatives, including the deployment of an autonomous fleet to assist the elderly and people with limited mobility (https://sustainabilitymag.com/top10/top-10-smart-cities-around-the-world).

According to the Smart Cities Index published by the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland and the Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore is one of the most prominent countries that rely on modern technology to manage its affairs, making it the world’s smartest city.

6.2 Case Study 2: Atlanta (Table 2)

Table 2 Case study 2. Atlanta
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The city’s ‘One Atlanta’ policy aims to bring all of Atlanta’s people together under one roof of ‘accessibility to opportunity.’ The endeavors are unfolded by the context provided ahead of time. Connecting Everyone, Street Lighting as a Data Hub, Access to Low-Cost, Clean Energy for All, and Affordable Housing (https://smartcity.press/equitable-smart-city-atlanta/).

7 Towards Establishing Intelligent Cities

There is a shortage of knowledge about how to begin a smart city project. And while there is a lot of information on the technologies and their capabilities, there isn’t much in the way of a defined beginning, middle, or end, and even less on how to secure each point along the route.

The study suggested three-dimensional intellectual sustainable approach, that can be employed to construct a smart city: Begin a smart city project with the use of technology and its possibilities, and secure each step along the way (Fig. 8).

Fig. 8
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Three-dimensional intellectual approach for intelligent cities (authors)

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Steps will be discussed as follows:

7.1 Start a Smart City Project

  • The new way of living

The new vision of the life which supports and improves its users’ lives is looking for appealing city districts that use smart infrastructure to influence the lives of people and communities, the success of businesses, and the health of the planet around them, by providing a fully integrated, bespoke end-to-end solution. In order to create more caring, interconnected urban settings that are aware of and respond that changing situations (Abdoullaev, 2011).

This system integrates renewable and intelligent energy supply and efficiency, smart buildings, and e-mobility charging, and it should be considered the residents want a social and cultural fabric that appeals to them and gives them a sense of place (Vershinina et al. 2020). So the Infrastructure for education, residential infrastructure, health care, and security are the main needs for a new way of living.

  • The Innovation Strategy

The innovation strategy is a company-wide strategy that supersedes all other strategies and plans, it should create a consistent and cohesive approach to projects, it lays out the city’s roadmap which calls for innovation and creativity in all aspects in order to create a cultural shift for all community members, and it includes residents and employees to prepare them for the workplace and the changing workforce.

This can be accomplished by leveraging technology where opportunities for the digital economy exist, allowing for the transformation of service delivery with a new business model, developing company policies, and analyzing all processes, initiatives, and programs through a fresh lens (Vitalij et al. 2012). Furthermore, everyone should be permitted to comprehend the new direction in order to realize the concept of working together with the same goals.

7.2 Using Technologies and Their Capabilities

  • Creative and talented skills

The ideal work-life balance needs necessitate flexible working hours with a daily pattern that is diverse, as it allows us to have new and exciting experiences every day. It can be achieved by finding smart solutions that may improve the lives of individuals and businesses (UN-Habitat, 2012). Smart cities are becoming more efficient and productive places to do business by using widespread information technology as well as resulting in the emergence of a new workforce reality.

  • Network’s broadband (Virtual collaborative spaces to succeed)

The existence of ICT as “the distinguishing factor of smart cities” is insufficient, and an overabundance of ICT has even been identified as a major flaw in a number of smart cities. Nonetheless, integrating ICT into a city can open up new possibilities and alter the city’s landscape. It can be achieved by creating successful virtual collaborative spaces which required technological support ideas, such as sensor and internet of things concepts, Wi-Fi, intercommunicating microprocessors, and so on.

  • Potentials of Smart Cities

They are the features that are available in the smart city which able to implement infrastructure management “water, electricity, information and communications, transportation, emergency services, public utilities, buildings, trash management, and sorting”.

The smart city should be designed to achieve the followings:

  • The existence of a wireless sensor network, which is a network of smart sensors that can measure a variety of data and broadcast it all at once to residents or authorities.

  • The Internet speed in smart cities should be extremely fast.

  • The citizen receives his home with all of the basics, including internet lines, a telephone network, a television network, and water and electricity meters, all of which are connected to the Internet.

  • It is feasible to track any citizen’s water or electricity consumption.

  • Streets, as well as street advertisements, are monitored with cameras and managed over the Internet.

  • The removal of negative phenomena such as robberies and crimes in smart cities, due to the existence of surveillance cameras in all streets and their co to a single room, as well as the ease with which the criminal may be identified.

  • Using the Internet to obtain licenses and official documents in order to reduce direct contact between the applicant and the employee.

  • Secure each point along the way (Fig. 9).

    Fig. 9
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    Four core security objectives for smart city solutions

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  • A truly “smart” city should work for the benefit of all citizens which can be achieved by the implementation and ongoing assessment, although the commercial and public organizations are beset by constant change and a lack of clarity in terms of information security standards, governance, and legal duties, leaving them unclear of how to proceed with big development initiatives.

To maintain effective and efficient communication, these networks re-quire monitoring and administration, which can be achieved by an efficient smart city application, efficient networks, and integrate advanced monitoring and control technologies, the study suggested three-dimensional intellectual sustainable approach, that can be employed to construct a smart city and secure each step along the way (Fig. 10).

Fig. 10
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Detailed suggested three-dimensional intellectual sustainable approach for establishing intelligent cities (authors)

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8 Conclusion

  • Smart solutions can develop the lives of citizens, in adding to businesses.

  • Smart city projects must be accessible to the general public via an open data portal or mobile app. Users can engage with the data and complete personal tasks like paying bills, finding optimal transportation options, and calculating home energy consumption. The most significant difficulty is connection, as thousands, if not millions, of IoT devices must connect and function together. As demand grows, this will allow services to be connected and continuing improvements to be made.

  • Social elements that contribute to a cultural fabric that appeals to residents and offers a sense of place must be considered in smart cities.

  • It’s crucial to think about the technologies and data that will need to be collected and shared, as well as the tools that will be required to enable that experience.

  • The study suggested three-dimensional intellectual sustainable approach, that can be employed to construct a smart city: Begin a smart city project with the use of technology and its possibilities, and secure each step along the way.

  • The significance of appropriate policy initiatives. As a result, jobs created in smart cities must be accompanied by stronger policy in order to guide future approaches to economic development and assist workers in developing skills for the new world of work.

  • Businesses in smart cities must ensure that their employees have the necessary skills.

  • While technologies provide solutions and increase users’ quality of life, more research is needed to evaluate the impact of excessive or reliance on technology on long-term hazards and how to avoid them in the future.