Source
doi:10.1016/j.ese.2023.100330 — original publication (opens in a new tab; the file is not redistributed)
Summary
Bibri et al. (2024) present a comprehensive PRISMA systematic review (235 studies, 2015–2023) of AI and Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) solutions for “smarter eco-cities” — an emerging urban paradigm that integrates smart city data infrastructure with eco-city environmental strategies. The review maps AIoT applications across six environmental sustainability domains (energy, water, waste, biodiversity, transport, climate) and identifies governance and policy conditions for materialisation. Scale is urban/metropolitan; the urban focus means findings inform the thesis technology landscape argument rather than NI benchmarks directly.
Key thesis insights
- Smarter eco-cities conceptual hierarchy — Smart cities → eco-cities → smart eco-cities (IoT + Big Data) → smarter eco-cities (AI + AIoT): a four-stage conceptual evolution where AI integration is the current frontier of ecological urbanism. Provides theoretical scaffolding for how AI/IoT enables ecological design at any scale, not only city scale. LIT_023
- Integration multiplier effect — “Combined effects greater than the sum of their separate effects” for energy efficiency, pollution reduction, renewable energy adoption, and real-time material flow feedback: the integration of AI/IoT with eco-system design creates measurable multiplier effects beyond deploying each in isolation. Supports the thesis claim that D09 is a cross-domain enabler, not an add-on. LIT_023
- Governance is co-equal with technology — Policy instruments (government regulation, financial incentives, public-private partnerships, open data initiatives, standards/certification) are identified as essential enabling conditions alongside technology: governance and institutional scaffolding are as critical as hardware deployment for materialising smart eco-cities. Directly relevant for thesis critique of techno-centric approaches. LIT_023
- Community scale as legitimate experimental ground — The paper positions eco-cities explicitly as “experimental grounds for innovative solutions … in areas which are both spatially proximate” where eco-city solutions are introduced and tested before wider adoption. Provides theoretical legitimacy for community-scale pilots (Neobiome) as the appropriate unit for trialling smarter eco-city technologies. LIT_023
- AIoT domain taxonomy corroborates EDT — The six-domain AIoT application taxonomy (energy, water, waste, biodiversity, transport, climate) maps closely onto EDT domains D01–D08 from an independent urban sustainability literature stream, providing external validation that the EDT framework captures the right technology categories. LIT_023
Connections
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