biophilia;nature-based smart city (NBSC);system of systems;systems engineering;unified architecture framework (UAF)
Abstract
Smart cities collaborate with various technological systems, including Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and drones, to fulfil the expectations of stakeholders and the needs of individuals and society. However, the use of such advanced technological systems imposes a burden on the natural environment, posing a risk to the sustainability of nature. Considering that people are a crucial element of smart cities, failing to incorporate a connection with nature could pose challenges to sustainable human well-being. Thus, future smart cities need to be a socio-technical system that not only provides convenience through the utilization of advanced technology but also maintains the relationship between humans and nature. This will enable the achievement of human well-being and sustainable natural environment. The concept of biophilia as a service (BaaS) has been introduced as a system of systems (SoS). BaaS is a service that contributes to human well-being and the sustainability of nature by emphasizing the relationship between humans and nature, promoting actions that safeguard nature, and collaborating with various organizations. In this paper, a smart, sustainable, and resilient city in harmony with nature is referred to as a nature-based smart city (NBSC). This study introduced BaaS to smart cities to contribute to the realization of NBSC as a socio-technical system. We defined the architecture of NBSC introducing BaaS using the Unified Architecture Framework (UAF). Furthermore, we illustrated the significance of introducing BaaS to NBSC to present a comprehensive picture of the realization of human and nature well-being by promoting actions that safeguard nature.