2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Integrating Smart City Strategies into Civil Engineering Education: Balancing Sustainability, Technology, and Community

Presented at Civil Engineering Division (CIVIL) Poster Session

Global urbanization and population growth have created opportunities for civil engineers to increase research focus on sustainability, resilience, and community integration. The emergence of Smart City technologies, for example, the Internet of Things, Geographic Information Systems, and Advanced Metering Infrastructure redefining how engineers design and implement infrastructure solutions. This paper examines how emerging technology can support engineering practice and education, emphasizing value in preparing students to manage complex, data-driven systems that connect technology with public needs.
The research utilizes a qualitative, literature-based approach, including global case studies illustrating Smart City frameworks in practice. Sources include peer-reviewed publications and field studies from the continental regions of South Asia, North America, and Europe. The research focuses on three civil engineering topics in Smart City development: sustainable water management, pedestrian-centered urban design, and renewable energy systems. The paper's outcomes will demonstrate how civil engineering curricula can incorporate technological innovations into professional engineering training.
The paper will produce specific examples that provide context for students to analyze data, evaluate sustainability trade-offs, apply engineering judgment, and include in coursework or capstone projects. Results will show how the Internet of Things and Advanced Metering Infrastructure systems improve water efficiency and leak detection, and how GIS-based planning supports safer, more walkable cities. The reviewed distributed generation and microgrid models will demonstrate how renewable energy can be localized and managed more equitably. Comprehensive results indicate that technology is most effective with policies and design approaches that place communities in decision-making.
Incorporating Smart City topics into civil engineering education develops adaptability, communication, and ethical reasoning. These competencies are essential ABET outcomes and contribute to the ASCE Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge. The educational outcomes can be achieved and extend beyond technical learning. Faculty can use examples of emerging tools, such as digital twins and AI-assisted modeling, to encourage innovation while reinforcing professional accountability and responsible technology use.
The research offers practical strategies for civil engineering educators to focus on instructional technology and effective teaching. It combines innovation and prepares students for a future shaped by intelligent infrastructure. Teaching digital literacy within the engineering curricula strengthens workforce readiness and cultivates engineers prepared to embed sustainability, balancing environmental and socioeconomic priorities in their design solutions. The paper concludes that Smart City frameworks can serve as an effective demonstration platform for bridging traditional civil engineering education with the evolving paradigms of modern infrastructure practice.

Authors

Dr. Fazil T. Najafi University of Florida [biography]

For more than 40 years, Dr. Najafi has worked in government, industry, and education. He earned a BSCE 1963 from the American College of Engineering, University of Kabul, Afghanistan. In 1966, Dr. Najafi earned a Fulbright scholarship and did his B.S., MS, and Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia; his experience in industry and government includes work as a Highway Engineer, Construction Engineer, Structural, Mechanical, and Consultant Engineer. Dr. Najafi taught at Villanova University, Pennsylvania, and was a visiting professor at George Mason University and a professor at the University of Florida, Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering. He has received numerous awards, such as Fulbright scholarship, teaching awards, best paper awards, community service awards, and admission as an Eminent Engineer into Tau Beta Pi. The Florida Legislature adopted his research on passive radon-resistant new residential building construction in the HB1647 building code of Florida. Najafi is a member of numerous professional societies and has served on many committees and programs; and continuously attends and presents refereed papers at international, national, and local professional meetings and conferences. Lastly, Najafi attends courses, seminars, and workshops and has developed courses, videos, and software packages during his career. Najafi has more than 300 refereed articles. His areas of specialization include transportation planning and management, legal aspects, construction contract administration, public works, and Renewable Energy.
Mr. Omar H McFarlane Sweeney University of Florida [biography]

Omar Sweeney is an astute Engineering Professional with more than 30 years of experience, specializing in Civil, Construction Engineering and Project Management. Throughout his professional career, he has successfully led the charge for several major Multilateral and Government financed social intervention and infrastructural projects.

He has been appointed by the Prime Minister of Jamaica, to the Professional Engineers Registration Board (PERB) where he was elected by the Board as Chairman (2020-2024). He is also an active Member of the Jamaica Institution of Engineers (JIE), having previously served as President.

He is the Managing Director at the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), a lead project management arm for the Government of Jamaica. He also has portfolio responsibility as Chairman of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, the Rural Water Supply Company Ltd. And the National Solid Waste Management Authority in Jamaica.

He is the holder of a diploma in the Social Sciences, a Bachelors of Science Degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Engineering Degree from the University of Florida. He has also successfully completed post graduate executive training programmes at the London School of Economics and the University of Oxford.
Mr. Sweeney has been appointed by the Government of Jamaica, to the Order of Distinction, in the rank of Commander, (CD), for his contribution to the Public Service, and nation building.

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