Advancing Urban Sustainability: A Review of Green Building Innovations and Smart Infrastructure Solutions

The rapid pace of global urbanization, with cities consuming 75% of energy and producing 70% of greenhouse gas emissions, underscores the urgent need for sustainable urban development. This review synthesizes advancements in green building innovations and smart infrastructure solutions from the past five years , highlighting their role in creating resilient, eco-friendly cities. Green building technologies, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), low-carbon materials, and net-zero designs, have reduced energy use by up to 50% and emissions by 30–50% in cities like Seattle and Singapore. Smart infrastructure, including smart grids and IoT-enabled utilities, enhances resource efficiency and urban resilience, with examples like Oslo’s carbon-neutral systems achieving 20–30% savings in energy and water. Case studies from Barcelona, Oslo, and Singapore demonstrate practical applications, driven by public-private partnerships and community engagement. However, challenges such as high costs, policy gaps, and inequitable access, particularly in developing nations, hinder scalability. This review identifies future research directions, including longitudinal studies and emerging technologies like green IoT, to address these barriers. By integrating policy recommendations and inclusive strategies, this article calls for global collaboration to scale sustainable urban solutions, aligning with SDG 11 and net-zero goals by 2030. The findings offer valuable insights for urban planners, policymakers, and researchers aiming to foster resilient, equitable, and sustainable cities.