Smart City Software: A Review of Development Methodologies and Modelling Languages

Abstract

Smart cities aim to improve citizens’ quality of life using technology. Due to their size, smart city projects often rely on dedicated software that is built using development methodologies and modelling languages. This paper aims at discovering what software development methodologies and modelling languages are being used in a Smart City context as well as revealing the drivers behind these choices. To do so, a literature review and six semi-structured interviews with practitioners in Belgian smart cities were conducted. The results demonstrate that there are various software development methodologies (Waterfall Model, Agile, Scrum, AUP, Hybrid Agile Methodology) and modelling languages (UML, SysML, BPMN, DSML, informal modelling) applied in a smart city context. This paper contributes to the understanding of the current state of software development methodologies and modelling languages within the smart city context. Moreover, by taking a closer focus on Belgian Smart Cities, it sheds light on the concrete state of practice and highlights the drivers and challenges associated with each approach.