Enhancing smart city infrastructure with a geospatial blockchain-based addressing system

Abstract

The rapid development of smart cities necessitates an accurate and secure address system to support the integration of urban infrastructure with advanced digital technologies. Traditional address systems, although foundational to urban organization, are increasingly inadequate in meeting the demands of dynamic and evolving urban environments. This study aims to address this gap by integrating innovations in Geographic Information Science (GIS) with geospatial blockchain technology to develop a robust addressing framework for smart cities. Specifically, the research focuses on (1) providing precise spatial address assignments, (2) mitigating the social challenges arising from the pervasive use of address data, and (3) optimizing the structure of address-information systems within a smart city paradigm. In response to these challenges, we propose a novel geospatial blockchain model that incorporates an optimized geohash grid, designed to enhance both the accuracy and security of address management. Central to this model is the concept of the Address of Space (AoS), which offers a solution for assigning addresses to previously unaddressed urban entities, such as land parcels and dynamic objects, including moving vehicles (e.g., food trucks) and stationary but frequently relocated indoor assets (e.g., AED units). The study's findings validate the efficacy of the proposed framework, highlighting its potential to revolutionize the management of address data, improving both its precision and security. By bridging the gap between physical and digital address systems, this research paves the way for more secure, efficient, and scalable addressing solutions in the era of smart cities.