Empowering citizens' cognition and decision making in smart sustainable cities

© 2019 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes,creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.Advances in Internet technologies have made it possible to gather, store, and process large quantities of data, often in real time. When considering smart and sustainable cities, this big data generates useful information and insights to citizens, service providers, and policy makers. Transforming this data into knowledge allows for empowering citizens' cognition as well as supporting decision-making routines. However, several operational and computing issues need to be taken into account: 1) efficient data description and visualization, 2) forecasting citizens behavior, and 3) supporting decision making with intelligent algorithms. This paper identifies several challenges associated with the use of data analytics in smart sustainable cities and proposes the use of hybrid simulation-optimization and machine learning algorithms as an effective approach to empower citizens' cognition and decision making in such ecosystemsPeer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Achieving Decarbonisation Through Sustainable Smart City Technologies

The concept of Sustainable Smart City (SSC) has been promoted as an ideal model that promises to enhance the efficiency of city governance and improve sustainability by taking advantage of technological innovations. Despite the rise of SSC initiatives and research worldwide, it is difficult to establish whether SSC really delivers Decarbonisation solutions or is a techno-centric fantasy to control the effects of the environment with modern technology. The main problem of carbon emissions relates to excessive consumption behaviour, which hinges on the social lifestyle and wellbeing needs of urban citizens. In this research, we have considered Decarbonisation as a movement ingrained in the social fabric of society to address these behavioural issues. This study aims to assess the extent of SSC models' approach to Decarbonisation which stems from social behaviour problems that cause high carbon emissions. Based on selected keywords, a systematic literature review was carried out to understand the main themes within four publication databases. Upon screening, 115 papers were used for thematic analysis to evaluate the extent of social and behavioural considerations to reduce carbon emissions. The results revealed three overarching themes that mainly sought to define SSC, describe the pathway to achieve SSC, and understand the impact of SSC. Majority of the studies focussed on the conceptual definition and descriptive indicators to mark the way forward towards SSC. Only a small proportion (11%) of papers discussed about social engagement and participation to affect the necessary changes for SSC and had limited relevance to carbon reduction. The findings show a disconnection between the political ambitions of SSC models and the social demands of urban citizens that drive carbon emissions. This paper contributes new insight on the lack of focus on social behaviour in SSC models, specifically in achieving Decarbonisation solutions at a local level

Articles indexats publicats per investigadors del Campus de Terrassa: 2020

Aquest informe recull els 314 treballs publicats per 242 investigadors/es del Campus de Terrassa en revistes indexades al Journal Citation Report durant el 2020Postprint (author's final draft

Empowering citizens' cognition and decision making in smart sustainable cities

© 2019 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes,creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.Advances in Internet technologies have made it possible to gather, store, and process large quantities of data, often in real time. When considering smart and sustainable cities, this big data generates useful information and insights to citizens, service providers, and policy makers. Transforming this data into knowledge allows for empowering citizens' cognition as well as supporting decision-making routines. However, several operational and computing issues need to be taken into account: 1) efficient data description and visualization, 2) forecasting citizens behavior, and 3) supporting decision making with intelligent algorithms. This paper identifies several challenges associated with the use of data analytics in smart sustainable cities and proposes the use of hybrid simulation-optimization and machine learning algorithms as an effective approach to empower citizens' cognition and decision making in such ecosystemsPeer Reviewe

Information Systems Management and Sustainable Urban Development: A Case Study

Sustainable Urban Development of Ethiopia lacks strategies to implement information systems management (ISM). Lacking appropriate ISM implementation has influenced the government’s plan on the four indicators of urban sustainability - Water, Air, Climate Change, and Population Growth. Grounded in the conceptual frameworks of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Diffusion Of Innovation (DOI), the purpose of this qualitative single case study aims to explore ISM for sustainable urban development in Ethiopia. The participants were 12 Development Associates (DAs) who have been participating in implementing of ISM. Data was collected through a one-to-one interview, National documents, the Environmental Protection Office of Ethiopia, and United Nation publications and reports. Then, using Yin’s five-steps of data analysis process, the data was analyzed. To explore the themes of implementing ISM for sustainable urban development, thematic analysis was used. Accordingly, three themes emerged: the need for adoptable model, applicable knowledge of integrating innovation and technology and resource re-allocation. The recommendation and its diverse implication have been forwarded to the leaders of Sustainable Urban Development to be used as a means of Positive Social Change. The positive social change implications of the research include its potential to promote sustainability, create employment opportunities, and enhance infrastructures in the host country. As intellectual product, the outcome of the research can be used by policy makers to shape the National Urban Sustainability Strategy of Ethiopia