Exploring the influence of linear infrastructure projects 4.0 technologies to promote sustainable development in smart cities

Industry 4.0 technologies have a high potential to improve the planning and execution of linear projects such as roads, bridges and railroads. These technologies can help reduce emissions, enhance operations' efficiency, and improve users' quality of life. Despite their potential to promote sustainability in smart cities, there is a lack of research focused on analysing their impact. Therefore, this paper aims to identify 4.0 technologies related to linear projects and examine their influence on smart cities' sustainable development. The research method involved four main stages: identification of 4.0 technologies in linear projects, questionnaire design and application, influence analysis, and factor analysis. A systematic literature review identified a set of 4.0 technologies that favour smart cities' sustainable development. Subsequently, 66 experts were consulted to determine which of these technologies have the most significant influence on smart cities' sustainable development, highlighting data analysis and management, intelligent traffic control systems, and artificial intelligence. This study makes three main contributions: (1) it identifies thirty-seven 4.0 technologies associated with linear projects that promote sustainable development in smart cities; (2) it characterises the 4.0 technologies with the most significant influence on the sustainability of smart cities; and (3) it proposes nine principal components into which interrelated 4.0 technologies that promote sustainable development can be grouped. This study provides valuable evidence for smart city managers and offers guidance for the efficient adoption of 4.0 technologies in linear projects. • Linear 4.0 projects promote sustainable development of smart cities. • Artificial intelligence has high influence on the sustainability of urban centers. • Big data management is indispensable for the sustainability of linear projects. • Intelligent systems in roads contribute to mitigate emissions in smart cities.