Page 372 - Shaping smarter and more sustainable cities - Striving for sustainable development goals

Figure 8 – Groups of communication networks in a smart sustainable city [14]

Such an approach, places communications and corresponding facilities and protocols at the core of
the SSC ICT architecture and can multi‐tier too.

Figure 9 depicts a corresponding SSC ICT architecture emphasizing on a physical perspective. On the
other hand, figure 7 illustrates a corresponding SSC ICT architecture emphasizing on information
flow. Both concern valid representations of the same architecture view, one closer to the language
of infrastructure developer the second more in line with information system developer and they
contain the following layers:

 Sensing layer: this consists of terminal node and capillary network. Terminals (sensor,
transducer, actuator, camera, RFID reader, barcode symbols, GPS tracker, etc.) sense the
physical world. They provide the superior "environment‐detecting" ability and intelligence for
monitoring and controlling the physical infrastructure within the city. The capillary network
(including SCADA, sensor network, HART, WPAN, video surveillance, RFID, GPS related network,
etc.) connects various terminals to network layer, providing ubiquitous and omnipotent
information and data.
 Network layer: the network layer indicates various networks provided by telecommunication
operators, as well as other metro networks provided by city stakeholders and/or enterprise
private communication network. It is the "infobahn", the network layer data and support layer:
the data and support layer makes the city "smarter", its main purpose is to ensure the support
capabilities of various city‐level applications and services. Data and support layer contains data
center from industries, departments, enterprises, as well as the municipal dynamic data center

and data warehouse, among others, established for the realization of data process and
application support.
 Application layer: the application layer includes various applications that manage the SSC and
deliver the SSC services.

362 ITU‐T's Technical Reports and Specifications