About this Research Topic

Background

As urbanization accelerates, cities face growing challenges in balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability. The integration of smart technologies offers a promising solution by enhancing energy efficiency and optimizing resource use. This intersection of energy, exergy, and environmental sustainability is critical for developing resilient urban economies. Understanding the economic aspects, including cost-effectiveness, return on investment, and long-term viability, is essential for policymakers and urban planners. Understanding exergy is crucial for optimizing energy use and reducing waste in urban settings. Cities, as dense hubs of energy consumption, present unique opportunities for improving energy efficiency and sustainability. Exergy analysis can reveal inefficiencies in urban energy systems, enabling targeted improvements that enhance economic performance and reduce environmental impacts. Smart city projects require substantial financial investment, and their success depends on demonstrating tangible economic benefits. Detailed energy and exergy analyses help identify significant energy losses and exergy destruction within urban systems. By pinpointing areas where the most useful energy is lost, such as in boilers, turbines, or condensers, urban planners and engineers can implement targeted improvements to enhance the overall efficiency and sustainability as well as significantly reduces the environmental footprints. This special edition aims to explore these economic factors, providing insights into how smart technologies can drive sustainable urban development and contribute to the overall economic health and environmental quality of cities

Economic factors are pivotal in the progression of smart cities, and this special edition of Frontiers in Sustainable Cities meticulously examines the cost-effectiveness and financial implications of integrating smart technologies. It evaluates the return on investment in energy conservation, infrastructure enhancement, and the long-term economic viability of smart city projects. Additionally, it explores potential obstacles and opportunities for urban economic growth associated with the shift towards smart urban environments. By focusing on these economic dimensions, the analysis highlights how efficient resource utilization and reduced waste contribute to both economic and environmental sustainability. The edition delves into the financial aspects of implementing renewable energy sources, upgrading infrastructure, and fostering policies that support environmental protection. The insights provided emphasize the necessity of balancing economic growth with sustainability, ultimately showcasing how smart urban development can lead to resilient economies and improved quality of life in urban areas. This comprehensive analysis underscores the critical role of economic considerations in achieving energy, exergy, and environmental sustainability in urban settings

This special edition focuses on the economic dimensions of integrating energy, exergy, and environmental sustainability in smart cities. We invite research on the cost-effectiveness, financial implications, and economic viability of smart technologies in urban settings. Topics can include cost-benefit analysis, return on investment in energy conservation, infrastructure enhancement, economic barriers, opportunities, and policy implications for sustainable city growth. The following specific topics are requested (but not limited to) in this special issue:

1. Introduction to Exergy:
• Significance of exergy in thermodynamics
• Importance of exergy analysis in evaluating system efficiency

2. Urban Economic Contexts:
• The role of exergy in urban energy consumption
• How exergy analysis can enhance urban energy systems
• Economic benefits of optimizing exergy in urban environments

3. Energy and Exergy Analysis:
• Methodologies for conducting energy and exergy analysis
• Case studies of exergy analysis in urban power plants and transportation networks
• Identifying inefficiencies and areas for potential improvement

4. Environmental Sustainability:
• Impact of exergy optimization on reducing environmental footprints
• Strategies for integrating exergy analysis into urban planning
• Long-term sustainability goals supported by exergy improvements

5. Practical Applications:
• Examples of successful exergy optimization in urban settings
• Technological advancements facilitating exergy analysis
• Challenges and solutions in implementing exergy-based improvements
• Implications of exergy analysis for urban policy development
• Recommendations for urban planners and policymakers
• Integration of exergy concepts into urban economic planning


Information for Authors:

Submissions should provide clear evidence of financial benefits and challenges associated with smart city initiatives. Manuscripts must be written in English, include a detailed methodology, and discuss economic aspects comprehensively. Submit through the Frontiers in Sustainable Cities online system, ensuring correct author details and a cover letter. All submissions will undergo peer review. Accepted manuscripts will be published online.

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
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Smart Cities, Energy Efficiency, Exergy Analysis, Economic Viability, Sustainable Development, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Urban Planning

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.

Frequently asked questions

• What is a Research Topic?

  Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

  Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

• Why does Frontiers publish Research Topics? 

  The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

  Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

• Why are Research Topics important for journals?

  As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

  A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

• How do we ensure the quality of articles within Research Topics?

  Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and they fall under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

• What are the benefits of publishing my article in a Research Topic?

  Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

  As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

  Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

   
• What types of articles can be published in a Research Topic?

  Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

  Check available article types here 

• Can I suggest a new Research Topic? 

  Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

  Suggest your topic here 

• Who leads a Research Topic? 

  A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

  The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

• What is the role of a topic editor?

  As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

   

  You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

• What support will I receive when editing a new Research Topic? 

  As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

• As a junior researcher, can I be involved in editing a Research Topic? 

  If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

• Can I get a certificate for editing a Research Topic?

  Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

• Who will I collaborate with?

  Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

• How long does it take to publish a Research Topic?

  As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

  Find out more about our Research Topics

• What fee support is available to authors publishing in a Research Topic?

  Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

  Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

• Will there be a printed version of my RT?

  In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.