Innovative ICT Applications in Smart Cities: A PRISMA-Based Systematic Literature Review

This paper presented a PRISMA-based systematic literature review of innovative ICT applications in smart cities. The synthesis of 156 studies shows that IoT and AI are the dominant enabling technologies, while blockchain, 5G, cloud/edge computing, big-data analytics, and digital twins are increasingly important for secure, real-time, and integrated urban services. The most common application domains include smart mobility, energy management, environmental monitoring, public safety, waste management, governance, and healthcare. The review demonstrates that successful smart city implementation depends on more than technology adoption. Cities must address cybersecurity, privacy, interoperability, governance, financing, digital inclusion, and organizational readiness. The proposed layered ICT architecture provides a structured way to understand how devices, networks, platforms, intelligence, and applications interact in smart city ecosystems. Future research should focus on trustworthy AI, federated learning, sustainable ICT, digital twin governance, and smart city models for developing regions. A human-centered and sustainability-oriented approach is essential to ensure that smart city innovations improve urban life equitably and responsibly.

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