Discourse on urbanization of cities has been the focus of research in the past few decades, as it creates striking challenges in the housing environment. Records have it that 68% of the world population by 2050 will live in urban centers, which would negatively affect city infrastructures and services. The expected outcome would be the proliferation of more slums in urban centers. Slums are marked with inadequate and poor housing conditions, which continue to expand at an alarming rate because of the inability of residents to improve their housing conditions or afford better housing in better locations.
Governments, at all levels globally, are making efforts to curtail poor housing problems, at least, to the nearest minimum, by putting in place approaches that focus on transformation, renewal, redevelopment, and forced eviction in some cases. However, housing researchers have discouraged forced eviction and slum clearance in a bid to improve the outlook of urban centers. They have advocated that other solutions should be found to the problem of urbanization in order to make the urban centres more livable. One such solution in recent times is the “smart city” concept.
The “Smart city” concept has been implemented in cities around the world in housing, waste management, transportation, security, water management, maintenance management systems, and energy management. It would be noted that, in most cases, the vulnerable slum populations were not included in this concept. Therefore, this research's main purpose is to seek ways to include the urban poor in the “smart city” solutions to urbanization, toward reducing homelessness and improving smart living.
This is calling practitioners and researchers to submit reports/ research findings/ case study papers on smart city models that would facilitate/ promote sustainability and affordability in housing settings. The working objective includes:
1. Engage in case studies of cities where the smart city model has been implemented and assess its impact on the residents/ urbanization. 2. Identify the smart city indicators that could enhance sustainability and affordability 3. Develop a smart city model/ design that could serve as a sustainable and affordable housing design standard. 4. Develop a model for the maintenance of components of a smart city 5. Formulate a checklist of smart, sustainable, and affordable housing key indicators
To achieve these objectives, literature review papers, case study papers, policy and survey research papers are welcome. Sub-themes include the following:
• Sustainable housing • Smart housing • Housing access • Affordable housing • Smart Mobility • Public-Private Partnership • Digital Citizen • Public Safety & Security • Smart maintenance system • Smart Energy • E-governance • Green Urban Planning • Advanced Waste Management • Intelligent Farming • Advanced housing security • Advanced home network
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Community Case Study
Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
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Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
