The Application of the Internet of Things to Enhance Urban Sustainability

Abstract

This article examines opportunities and challenges faced by planners when applying Internet of Things (IoT) as a tool to facilitate urban sustainable development in the context of the Smart Cities movement. As an important element in the Smart Cities concept, IoT is expected to enhance urban sustainability through the sensor network that detects and transmits environmental data. However, there are still various challenges that add a layer of difficulty to the process of using IoT to achieve this goal. The article first identifies the concept and relationship of three key background issues: Smart Cities, Internet of Things, and sustainability. Then the article investigates the challenges of using IoT technology to assist urban sustainability in various aspects. Next, the article proposes possible responses to those challenges through three fields of application: waste management, smart streetlights, and smart homes. It is of great importance for urban planners to understand the complexity of these challenges due to the interdisciplinary nature of such applications. Therefore, it is essential for the field of urban planning to collaborate with other sectors to better utilize IoT technologies towards sustainability.