Industrial Revolution 4.0: Reconnaissance of Opportunities and Challenges for Smart Sustainable Cities

Abstract

New technologies usually replace many of the technologies known to humankind. Today, humanity is experiencing the fourth industrial revolution, i.e., 4IR, where the boundaries between biological, digital, and physical technologies are blurring. The previous industrial revolutions brought opportunities and costs. The paper examines the expected outcomes of 4IR on the city and the means to benefit from 4IR technologies in city planning. The research methodology is mixed, using the symphony metaphor and conducting bibliometric analysis. The researchers interrogated the literature landscape about 4IR to outline the substantial opportunities and potential impacts. They conducted a bibliometric analysis of the contemporary academic discourse linking 4IR to metropolitan areas. Preliminary synthesis shows a growing trend in the total number of documents per year since 2016—the connection between 4IR and the city focus on the smart city. The 4IR technologies could help make smart sustainable cities a reality and avert any harmful outcomes. Planning and architectural education must align their curricula to use these novel technologies by equipping graduates with the competencies to face a changing world and capitalize on opportunities.