The Smart City from the Energy Perspective

The accelerated development of Smart Cities on a global scale, driven by rapid urbanization and urgent climate challenges, underscores the critical role of advanced energy infrastructures integrated with emerging digital technologies. This article explores the smart city evolution from an energy-centric viewpoint, emphasizing the interdependence between energy systems, digitalization and cutting-edge communication technologies. Adopting a system-of-systems perspective, we examine how different urban subsystems, including energy grids, transportation networks and data management systems, interact to improve overall the urban functionality and long-term viability. Through a structured analysis of recent literature, we highlight the transformative potential of renewable energy integration, intelligent energy management systems and the crucial transition from 5G to 6G communication infrastructures, which collectively promise significant enhancements in urban sustainability, efficiency and resilience. Additionally, we address key challenges such as cybersecurity, vulnerabilities, fragmented standardization frameworks and the need for comprehensive data governance. Viewing smart cities as a complex system-of-systems, this article argues for a holistic and interdisciplinary approach, emphasizing an enhanced interoperability, robust cybersecurity protocols and inclusive participatory governance frameworks.