A cyber-physical system approach to smart city development

In the contemporary era, the world is confronting numerous challenges that should be dealt with in the near future like effective management of energy, necessity for economic development, reducing environmental challenges, quality and security of life of its inhabitants. The growing concentration of the global inhabitants into towns and cities puts the urban areas in the center of the concerns and make them vital stakeholders for the viable growth strategy of the world. Consequently, Cyber-physical systems (CPS) can play a significant role in their adaptation to smart cities applications and projects. This paper aims to give an overview of the smart city concept and emerging technologies in this area and a brief explanation of cyber-physical systems. It then highlights the potential role of CPS in the development of smart city applications and includes some actual examples of the adaptation of CPS to smart city projects. The paper then outlines some advantages of the CPS in this context and discusses potential challenges. The paper also offers a research agenda for the future.