Innovation in urban sustainability and smart cities
Urban sustainability
Urban sustainability is closely linked to smart cities and is concerned with designing, developing, and managing cities and urban communities in a way that ensures environmental, economic, and social sustainability. It aims to achieve sustainable development, improve the quality of life in cities, and enhance efficiency by using modern technology, promoting community participation, and improving infrastructure. To achieve this, urban sustainability and smart cities rely heavily on knowledge and technology, where they both play a vital role in improving urban environmental quality and reducing adverse impacts. Their achievement requires the application of theories of sustainability and flexibility in the design, management, and operation of urban communities, further providing necessary methods of access to an optimal living framework, effectively providing energy, water, and other resources, improving the quality of air, water, and soil, encouraging the adoption of public transport, walking, and cycling, and improving urban infrastructure and services.