Real-Time Traffic Management in Smart Cities: A Systematic Literature Review of Application Paradigms, Control Architectures, and Implementation Barriers
Source abstract
Abstract
Smart Mobility plays a key role in Smart Cities, given its ability to support the rollout of intelligent transport systems, allowing for more sustainable urban transportation and greater interoperability across diverse mobility modes. Furthermore, Smart Mobility is essential to maximize the quality of life for the community while advancing principles of sustainability, economic development, technological innovation, and collaborative governance. Real-Time Traffic Management (RTTM) emerges as a vital technology for optimizing traffic management in Smart Mobility. Using the PRISMA framework, the proposed systematic literature review examines 165 peer-reviewed publications related to RTTM research work published between 2019 and 2025. This review identified eleven application domains, with Urban Traffic Management Systems (36.97%) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Predictive Analytics (12.73%) representing the most prominent areas. A retrospective analysis of the literature on control architecture used in closed-loop feedback systems indicates that most studies (89%) have adopted a more dynamic control model, while 7.8% adopted a Digital Twin (DT)-based approach. However, several implementation barriers persist, including limited integration of online optimization and learning loops into RTTM systems, gaps in performance comparisons between simulation and reality, scalability issues due to heterogeneous environments, inconsistent data quality caused by various sensor types, and difficulties integrating sensors into a control system. In addition, this paper proposes a taxonomy of RTTM applications and control architectures, while outlining key practical barriers to implementation and charting future research directions for advancing Smart Mobility through robust RTTM.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Traffic control and management · Smart Cities and Technologies · Traffic Prediction and Management Techniques
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Multidisciplinary Laboratory of Research and Innovation, Moroccan School of Engineering Sciences, Casablanca 20250, Morocco
Research, Development, and Innovation Laboratory, Mundiapolis University, Casablanca 20180, Morocco
Smart Systems Laboratory, IT Rabat Center, ENSIAS, Mohammed V University, Rabat 10090, Morocco
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713 Doha, Qatar
Electrical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, AL Faisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia
Engineering Technology Department, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
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