Navigating the future of smart cities: Addressing IoT challenges through blockchain solutions

As urbanization accelerates, smart cities are increasingly turning to innovative technologies to enhance city management, governance, and citizen engagement. This paper explores the application of blockchain technology in smart cities, particularly its interaction with the Internet of Things (IoT). Despite significant strides in utilizing blockchain for specific applications, existing frameworks often focus on narrow sectors, such as energy management or data security, lacking a holistic integration across municipal functions. This research identifies a critical gap in existing literature: the need for a comprehensive blockchain framework that connects multiple urban sectors, facilitates secure data exchange, and empowers citizens through decentralized systems. The proposed framework underscores the potential of blockchain to create a transparent, efficient, and citizen-friendly urban environment by implementing decentralized identity management, smart contracts for public services, and innovative citizen engagement platforms. By addressing this gap, the study contributes to the discourse on smart city development by providing an adaptable model that can be tailored to the unique needs of diverse urban environments.