Towards Resilient and Sustainable New Cities: An Integrated Framework of Smart Applications

Urbanization has grown rapidly, with 56% of the global population now living in cities—a figure expected to reach 68% by 2050. This expansion has led to challenges like overcrowding, pollution, and loss of agricultural land, particularly in countries such as Egypt. To address these issues, sustainable urbanization through new cities and smart technologies is gaining attention. Smart cities utilize technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and big data to optimize resources, improve services, and reduce environmental impact. These efforts support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goals 9 and 11, which promote resilient infrastructure and sustainable communities. This research develops a roadmap for implementing smart applications in new cities, focusing on utilizing desert areas to support population growth while preserving resources and improving quality of life. It emphasizes the shift toward smart, resilient cities as a solution for sustainable development. A bibliometric analysis using “Biblioshiny” and “VOSviewer” was conducted on 193 publications from the Scopus database, covering urban planning, new cities, and desert areas. The study proposes a six-stage roadmap—from strategic planning to continuous evaluation—and highlights growing research interest in smart city innovations, particularly in solar energy and sustainability.