# A Comprehensive Survey on the Societal Aspects of Smart Cities
## 2 Smart Cities Dimensions
### Smart Living  
Globally, industrialization increased living standards since governments had invested in infrastructure and services, and the general population could afford to spend more money on better housing, amenities (e.g., appliances or cars), and education. Moreover, the increasing prevalence of ICTs in everyday objects is changing the ways people live (i.e., smart living). For instance, the development of domotics or home automation might transform a regular house into a smart house by adding a level of intelligence and automation to daily activities (e.g., food preparation, temperature regulation, or lighting). The goal is to reduce the workload of people, provide better efficiency, lower costs, and promote sustainability. Home automation has advanced rapidly from its origins in university research [138] to a rapidly growing market where multiple companies compete for market share [139; 140]. However, despite its rapid growth, the field is still a young one, which means several problems persist. Competition between companies can lead to rapid technological progress, but this may not always benefit the consumer. Companies often create their own technical standards for their equipment instead of adopting a universal one that can be used by everyone. This market fragmentation might turn a customer entirely dependent on their chosen company, and their purchased equipment could be rendered useless if the company goes out of business, discontinues support for older equipment, or charges customers for continued use [141]. These issues could be solved by enacting new consumer protection laws and by implementing universal technical standards, which are fundamental as smart homes become more prevalent and able to make use of vast energy resources in the form of solar and wind power, even in places where a power grid does not exist [142]. One issue that affects both developed and developing countries and that smart homes can help mitigate is the population aging. The proportion of older people in a population is growing, and it is expected that by 2050, one in six people will be 65 years of age or older. This trend was first seen in developed countries, but today practically every country in the world is experiencing it [143]. Ambient assisted living (AAL) solutions synergize excellently with smart home systems because these can automate many day-to-day tasks and, therefore, can greatly benefit older adults and those with physical or mental impairments, which can signify the difference between living independently in their own home or having to be cared for, for example, in a nursing home. To ensure the needs of its occupants are met, a smart house designed for older adults must be able to monitor and handle their physical, mental, and social needs [144]. For that, one of the biggest research challenges is activity recognition. The definition of activity is broad, encompassing any action a person can perform, and as such, making an ICT system recognize something that to a human would be a simple activity (e.g., walking, picking up something, or sleeping) can be challenging and requires a combination of hardware and software [145]. AAL systems are of great use for people with health problems but are not the only smart technologies that can be applied to health. In healthcare, a common saying is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and smart technologies can be highly effective in achieving this goal. Health and fitness apps allow for individuals to track their personal health regimens, while remote monitoring enables physicians to detect early symptoms of a disease. Moreover, monitoring of city conditions (e.g., air, water, or soil quality), automatic emergency alerts, and analysis of inhabitants' data can help identify and address populations' health conditions. Smart living and the respective supporting technologies also have a profound impact on the way people work.