Can smart cities address the challenges of ageing infrastructure?

Harnessing technology to modernise and sustain our urban landscapes.

 

Emerald and SDGs
We support the Sustainable Development Goals

Cities everywhere are facing the tough challenge of updating their old buildings and infrastructure to keep up with today's needs.

Ageing infrastructure includes transportation networks, water and sewage systems, energy grids, and public buildings, many of which were built decades ago and are now struggling to keep up with the pressures of contemporary urban living.

So, what’s the solution?

In this mission, we'll look at how smart city technology, renewable energy, and advanced materials can improve the management and maintenance of infrastructure, making it more efficient, sustainable and resilient. We'll share the latest research, real-world success stories, and insights from top experts, offering practical solutions that matter to academics, policymakers, and industry leaders.

Join the discussion

Are you an author or stakeholder working in this field? We’d love to hear from you. You can contribute to the discussion by sharing your research, insights, or viewpoints. You could be working on an article, have a book idea, or contribute a blog or commentary on this topic. There are many ways you can get involved, so please get in touch today.

This mission is aligned with our Sustainable structures and infrastructures goal

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This mission aligns with these UN Sustainable Development Goals:

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities SDG 13: Climate Action

Free access to our journal articles and book chapters

Journal articles

Our publications have content on different aspects of smart cities that we’d like to share with you. For a limited time only, these are free to access.

 
Find a journal for your research

Book chapters

 

Author insights

Take a look at our latest blogs and podcast episode to find out more about what our authors have to say on the topic of smart cities and ageing infrastructure.

Featured blogs

Take a look at our latest blogs to find out more about what our collaborators have to say regarding smart cities and ageing infrastructure.

 

Smart cities for a sustainable future

Ravi Shankar SrinivasanAuthor: Professor Ravi Shankar Srinivasan, Associate Dean for Research and Strategic Initiatives, University of Florida

Professor Ravi Shankar Srinivasan introduces our Smart Cities and Ageing Infrastructure mission by exploring the transformative potential of smart cities. He illustrates how advanced technologies like the Internet of Things and Digital Twins can help manage both new and ageing infrastructure, improving urban sustainability and resilience.

How to achieve the ‘S’ in ESG

Eric SandelandsAuthor: Eric Sandelands, Director at Ingenium Training and Consulting

Eric Sandelands, Director at Ingenium Training and Consulting, explores how well curated urban and rural development can generate significant social value, enhancing community well-being and resilience.

Could advances in timber help us build stronger and greener?

Wen Shao Chang  Haoyu Huang

Authors: Dr Haoyu Huang of Newcastle University and Prof Wen-Shao Chang of the University of Lincoln

Dr Haoyu Huang and Prof Wen-Shao Chang introduce cutting-edge methods to strengthen timber structures. Their pioneering research not only aims to safeguard historic buildings but also sets the stage for innovative, eco-friendly construction practices.

Article: Enhance resilience in timber connections with shape memory alloy and densified veneer wood
Engineering History and Heritage

Reimagining infrastructure for a smarter, sustainable, and resilient future

Michael A SalvatoAuthor: Michael A Salvato, Managing Partner of InfraRe Partners, LLC

Michael A Salvato, Managing Partner of InfraRe Partners, LLC, envisions a future where digital technology transforms infrastructure into adaptive, intelligent systems. This advancement requires visionary leadership and a shift in how we value and invest in infrastructure.

Book chapter: Chapter 8 – Infrastructure Asset Management in the age of smart cities
Asset Management: Transforming asset dependent businesses, Second edition

Podcast: Future-proofing our bridges in a changing climate

Around the world, cities face a quiet but pressing challenge: the steady ageing of their infrastructure. The bridges we cross, the roads we travel, the pipes that carry our water, and the grids that power our lives show the strain of time. As they wear, the functionality, safety, and sustainability risks grow, demanding innovative solutions.

In this episode of the Emerald Podcast Series, our host Rebecca Torr dives into the heart of these challenges with Dr Stergios Mitoulis as they explore how cutting-edge technologies and forward-thinking strategies are reshaping our approach to infrastructure, offering hope for more resilient and sustainable systems.

Listen to the episode and view the transcript here

Different routes to publication

If you would like to contribute to the discussion, take a look at our different routes to publication and contact us to get involved.

Calls for papers

View some of our calls for papers around the topic of smart cities.

View our latest calls for papers
Closing date: 31 December 2024

AECO Industry Human-Centered Transformation by Innovation: Enabling Synergies between Smart Digital Technologies and Lean Construction

This special issue aims to spotlight the evolving integration of Smart Digital Technologies and Lean Construction with emphasis on human-centered design systems, and its transformative impact on the AECO industry.

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management

https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/calls-for-papers/aeco-industry-human-cen…
Closing date: 16 January 2025

Motivating and Empowering Construction Stakeholders to Target Sustainable Development Goals

Papers published in this special issue are expected to add valuable new knowledge in showing how to effectively motivate and equip stakeholders, ranging from policymakers to on-site workers, to actively pursue SDGs, along with organisational and project priorities.

Built Environment Project and Asset Management

https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/calls-for-papers/motivating-and-empoweri…
Closing date: 16 March 2025

Sustainable Urbanization and Smart Energy Infrastructure

This special issue will address several pressing societal challenges by focusing on energy solutions that contribute to sustainable development. Promoting access to clean and affordable energy will address SDG 7 and SDG 13, which are crucial for mitigating climate change and improving livelihoods, particularly in underserved communities.

Technological Sustainability

https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/calls-for-papers/sustainable-urbanizatio…
Closing date: 31 January 2025

Beyond BIM: Navigating the Transformative Journey of the AECO Industry

The concept of Building Information Modelling (BIM) is considered to be among the most advanced technologies that have permeated the AECO industry. This special issue focuses on the methods, processes, and technologies that will emerge due to BIM empowerment coupled with recent technological innovations.

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management

https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/calls-for-papers/beyond-bim-navigating-t…

Related books

Visit our online bookstore to see all our latest publications.

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Featured journals

Find out more about the journals we've used to select articles for this page. You can also search for a specific journal by subject area on our find a journal page.

If you want to publish your research in one of our journals, please get in touch.

Find a journal

Talk to us about your work

We really welcome insights not only from researchers but practitioners too about their work.

If you would like to contribute to the discussion, or you are working on research in areas related to smart cities and ageing infrastructure, and/or Sustainable structures and infrastructures, please let us know by filling out this form and we’ll get back to you.

 

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