Lessons from complex networks to smart cities

Abstract

A smart city is an urban area that uses technology, data and digital infrastructure to improve the quality of life for its citizens, enhance the efficiency of city services and promote sustainability. Complex networks can enable the extraction of useful information from technologies, such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and big data analytics, in a comprehensive way. This would enable common urban challenges, such as traffic congestion, pollution, waste management and energy usage, to be addressed. Network theory offers a strong framework for analyzing and visualizing complex relationships in urban environments, including transportation, social interactions and infrastructure. This interdisciplinary approach aids in comprehensive city modeling and serves as a vital tool for policymakers to improve the robustness and resilience of urban landscapes. This Review explains the advances in complexity science for smart cities, showing how the logic of this field can be applied to increasingly complex features of cities.