Smart Cities: Integrating IoT and Cloud Computing for Smart Urban Applications

The use of Cloud Computing and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies is increasingly strong in the creation of more efficient, sustainable, safe and cutting-edge urban solutions to promote the development of Smart Cities. This paper provides a review of the state of the art regarding the integration of IoT and Cloud Computing for applications in the context of Smart Cities. In particular, the various emerging technological architectures, communication models and data management paradigms that facilitate the collection, processing and real-time analysis of the different information coming from sensors that are distributed in cities are examined. The paper also provides an overview of the main existing applications at national and global level, such as intelligent traffic management, energy efficiency, public safety, citizen well-being and inclusion, environmental monitoring, illustrating examples of the most relevant global initiatives in the field of Smart Cities. Finally, open challenges such as scalability, data security and privacy are discussed, also identifying possible opportunities for future development. In conclusion, this work aims to offer an overall vision of the different current technological solutions and possible future perspectives to be a stimulus and support to the decision-making process of those who have development responsibilities in the urban context and public administration.