Smart City Innovations: Navigating Urban Transformation with Sustainable Mobility

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of the intersection of urban planning, transportation, technology, and smart city development. With a keen focus on sustainability and the potential for positive change, it presents a collection of diverse chapters that shed light on emerging trends and innovative solutions in the field. The book examines the role of urban ropeways as both a public transport service and a catalyst for touristic development, highlighting their potential benefits and challenges. It also introduces novel approaches to measuring accessibility and transportation potential using Space Syntax and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), providing valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers. The chapters delve into specific areas of study, such as the driving behavior of individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder, the mobility challenges faced by women in developing countries, and alternative methods of snow and ice removal in parkingareas through hydronic heating. Furthermore, the book explores the intersection of sustainability, smart cities, and global travel, considering the impact of aviation on climate change and the potential of digital humanism in the metaverse. It also examines the implications and challenges of cultural biases in smart city development, emphasizing the need for inclusive and culturally sensitive approaches. The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) in housing is discussed, focusing on the domotization of sustainable walls and their potential benefits for energy efficiency and sustainable living. The use of immersive technologies in virtual heritage is explored, showcasing innovative tourist experiences and highlighting the case of the Berati Ethnographic Museum. The book also addresses the potential of web mapping applications for smart city development, the behavioral attitudes toward ridesharing and mode preferences of shared automated electric vehicles, the development of wind turbine systems for vehicle battery recharging, and the application of knowledge-driven problem identification in transformative city design and development. “Smart City Innovations" serves as a valuable resource for researchers, professionals, policymakers, and anyone interested in the future of urban planning, transportation, and smart cities. By addressing pressing challenges and presenting innovative solutions, this book aims to inspire positive change and contribute to the creation of sustainable and livable urban environments.

Dr. Simon Elias Bibri is a Senior Researcher and Project Coordinator at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Computer and Communication Sciences (IINFCOM), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Media and Design Laboratory (LDM), He has a diverse professional background, having served as Head of Computer Department, Software Engineer, IT Business Engineer, Project Manager, Green ICT and Environmental Sustainability Strategist, Research Associate, Consultant, and Assistant Professor. Currently, he serves as an Expert in Artificial Intelligence and Applied Machine Learning for Climate Action for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an International Expert in Sustainable Cities for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and an Expert for Focus Group for Smart Sustainable Cities and Digital Twin for the United Nations Agency of International Telecommunication Union (ITU). He also holds the position of Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Critical Insights in Environmental Studies at Francis and Taylor Group.

Dr. Bibri's academic journey reflects an interdisciplinary background, traversing the realms of science, technology, and society. His expertise encompasses computer science, computer engineering, systems science, innovation science, environmental science, social sciences, and humanities. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering and an Advanced Management Program (AMP) degree.

Notably, he earned multiple Master’s degrees from esteemed Swedish universities, namely Lund University, West University, Blekinge Institute of Technology, Stockholm University, Malmö University, and Mid–Sweden University. Additionally, he received his PhD in Computer Science from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), specializing in Computer Technology and Urban Informatics, with a research focus on data-driven smart sustainable cities.

Dr. Bibri is a prolific author with numerous highly cited journal articles, six authored books, two edited books, and five co-edited books to his accomplishment. His work has been cited over 8100 times, resulting in an h-index of 43 according to Google Scholar. His impact is further underscored by his recognition by Stanford and Elsevier as one of the top 1% scientists globally for four consecutive years. He has also been listed by ScholarGPS in 2022 as the #1 Highly Ranked Scholar in Sustainable Cities, #4 in Big Data, and #8 in sustainability in the world.

Dr. Bibri's research interests and expertise cover a broad spectrum of topics at the intersection of science and technology, urban development and planning, and strategic sustainable development. These include smart cities, sustainable cities, smarter eco-cities, sustainable smart cities, Urban Artificial Intelligence (UAI), Urban Artificial Intelligence of Things (UAIoT), Urban Generative Artificial Intelligence (UGAI), Urban Digital Twin (UDT), Smart Urban Metabolism (SUM), Cyber-Physical Systems of Systems (CPSoS), Internet of City Things (IoCT), platform urbanism, environmental planning and governance, environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation, smart sustainable energy, smart sustainable transportation, smart sustainable waste management, sustainability transitions, and Technological Innovation Systems (TIS).