Research Article 9
- Volume 4, Issue 1 2026
By Faizan , Syyeda Ayesha Jaffery
DOI:10.20547/aibd.264104
Keywords: Internet of Things, Smart Cities, IoT architectures, Edge Computing, 5G, Digital Twins, Blockchain, Sensor Networks, Intelligent Systems, Urban Infrastructure

The rapid urbanisation is putting pressure on city infrastructures around the world, and the Internet of Things (IoT) is the main technological layer that municipalities are using to respond. However, the literature on IoT-enabled smart cities remains fragmented: architectural frameworks, application domain studies, and challenge analyses are usually reported in isolation, with little cross comparison to guide implementation decisions. This paper addresses that fragmentation through a structured review of 61 peer-reviewed studies (2022–2024, plus select foundational works from 2013–2019) from IEEE Xplore, Elsevier, and SpringerLink. A direct comparison of three dominant IoT architectural paradigms: layered, distributed (edge/fog), and service-oriented; on scalability, cost, security, and latency finds that layered designs are appropriate for smaller, budget constrained deployments, distributed designs are most appropriate for latency critical applications such as traffic control, and service-oriented designs provide the highest interoperability for large, multi-vendor municipal systems at a higher integration cost. The review further examines five application domains (transportation, energy, environmental monitoring, waste management, and public safety) and four recurring implementation barriers (security, interoperability, scalability, and cost), finding that security and interoperability are rated most severe yet least subject to independent, real-world evaluation once deployed at city scale. Finally, the paper synthesises five new avenues: edge intelligence, 5G integration, AI-driven predictive analytics, digital twins, and blockchain-based trust mechanisms and identifies standardised cross-city impact indicators as the most critical gap for future research. These findings offer urban planners an evidence-based basis for architecture decisions and indicate tangible targets for pushing IoT research beyond isolated proof-of-concept studies.

Submission Date: 9 Feb, 2026 Reviews Completed: 31 May, 2026
Acceptance Date: 2 Jun, 2026 Publication Date: 30 Jun, 2026