<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail-article-listing" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;color:rgb(80,80,80);font-family:NexusSans,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:20.68px"><div class="gmail-article-content" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:1rem 0px 2rem;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-size:1.25rem"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.5rem;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.625rem;max-width:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:inherit;font-weight:700">Motivation</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.5rem;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.625rem;max-width:inherit">In the last few years we have observed an increasing presence of intelligent applications in our daily lives: from accurate product recommendations, cyber-threat detection, to sophisticated software assistants. Many of these applications have certainly had an impact in our lifestyle, but they have mostly remained in the realm of the digital world. Despite the fact that we are increasingly digital citizens, cities and urban areas will always be our main ecosystem and, therefore, the main aspect affecting our daily lives.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.5rem;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.625rem;max-width:inherit">The next barrier for intelligent applications is pervading urban areas to optimize resources, foster sustainable practices, fighting inequalities, creating new opportunities, and, generally, improving the welfare of their inhabitants. While the goals seem attractive, they do not come without their challenges: harnessing the predictive power behind humungous volumes of data generated by citizens and deployed sensors, managing and distributing scarce and limited resources, providing scalable intelligent solutions that support millions of users, fostering cooperation and coordination between thousands of self-interested agents, using human relationships and interactions to the cities’ own advantage, and effectively interacting with a wide range of citizens.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.5rem;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.625rem;max-width:inherit">This special issue aims to advance the state of the art in the application of intelligent methods to improve cities and urban areas, with a special focus on those applications that take into consideration human collaboration, interactions, communication, or social behavior. We specially encourage the submission of articles describing applications, but we also welcome theoretical work and review articles on novel applications of intelligent methods to cities.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.5rem;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.625rem;max-width:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:inherit;font-weight:700">Topics of Interest</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.5rem;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.625rem;max-width:inherit">Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:</p><ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:1.625rem;list-style-position:outside;font-family:inherit;font-size:1.25rem"><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Multi-Agent Systems</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Big Data</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Machine learning</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Sensors and actuators</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Smart homes and smart buildings</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Smart health</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Smart mobility and transportation</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Crowdsourcing</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Semantic Web, Linked Data</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Open Data, Linked Open Data</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Social Networks, Virtual Communities</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Social simulation</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Internet of Things</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Smart cities</li></ul><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:1.5rem 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.625rem;max-width:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:inherit;font-weight:700">Submission Instructions</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.5rem;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.625rem;max-width:inherit">Original, high-quality contributions that are not yet published or that are not currently under review by other journals or peer-reviewed conferences are sought. Papers will be peer-reviewed by independent reviewers and selected based on originality, scientific quality and relevance to this Special Issue. The journal editors will make final decisions about the acceptance of the papers.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.5rem;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.625rem;max-width:inherit">Authors should prepare their manuscript according to the Guide for Authors available from the online submission page of the Future Generation Computer Systems at <a href="http://ees.elsevier.com/fgcs/" target="_blank" rel="external" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:inherit;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(0,115,152);text-decoration-line:none;word-break:break-word;overflow:hidden;border-bottom:none">http://ees.elsevier.com/fgcs/</a> . Authors should select “<span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:inherit;font-weight:700">VSI: FutureCities”</span> when they reach the “Article Type” step in the submission process. Inquiries, including questions about appropriate topics, may be sent electronically to <a href="mailto:vsanchez.anguix@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="external" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:inherit;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(0,115,152);text-decoration-line:none;word-break:break-word;overflow:hidden;border-bottom:none">vsanchez.anguix@gmail.com</a>.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.5rem;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.625rem;max-width:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:inherit;font-weight:700">Important dates</span></p><ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:1.625rem;list-style-position:outside;font-family:inherit;font-size:1.25rem"><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Paper submission due: Jan 30, 2019</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">First-round acceptance notification: Mar 30, 2019</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Revision submission: May 30, 2019</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Notification of final decision: Jul 30, 2019</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Submission of final paper: Sep 1, 2019</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem 1rem;padding:0px 0px 20px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;clear:both;float:left;width:822.906px">Publication date: Last quarter of 2019</li></ul><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:1.5rem 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.625rem;max-width:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:inherit;font-weight:700">Guest Editors</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.5rem;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.625rem;max-width:inherit">Dr. Victor Sanchez-Anguix<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Coventry University<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">United Kingdom<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><a href="mailto:vsanchez.anguix@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="external" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:inherit;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(0,115,152);text-decoration-line:none;word-break:break-word;overflow:hidden;border-bottom:none">vsanchez.anguix@gmail.com</a>, <a href="mailto:ac0872@coventry.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="external" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:inherit;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(0,115,152);text-decoration-line:none;word-break:break-word;overflow:hidden;border-bottom:none">ac0872@coventry.ac.uk</a></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.5rem;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.625rem;max-width:inherit">Prof. Vicente Julian<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Universitat Politecnica de Valencia<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Spain<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><a href="mailto:vinglada@dsic.upv.es" target="_blank" rel="external" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:inherit;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(0,115,152);text-decoration-line:none;word-break:break-word;overflow:hidden;border-bottom:none">vinglada@dsic.upv.es</a></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.5rem;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.625rem;max-width:inherit">Prof. Paulo Novais<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Universidade do Minho<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Portugal<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><a href="mailto:pjon@di.uminho.pt" target="_blank" rel="external" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:inherit;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(0,115,152);text-decoration-line:none;word-break:break-word;overflow:hidden;border-bottom:none">pjon@di.uminho.pt</a></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.5rem;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.625rem;max-width:inherit">Prof. Olivier Boissier<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Mines Saint-Étienne<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">France<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><a href="mailto:olivier.boissier@emse.fr" target="_blank" rel="external" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:inherit;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(0,115,152);text-decoration-line:none;word-break:break-word;overflow:hidden;border-bottom:none">olivier.boissier@emse.fr</a></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.5rem;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:NexusSerif,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.625rem;max-width:inherit">Prof. Kuo-Ming Chao<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Coventry University<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">United Kingdom<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><a href="mailto:csx240@coventry.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="external" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:inherit;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(0,115,152);text-decoration-line:none;word-break:break-word;overflow:hidden;border-bottom:none">csx240@coventry.ac.uk</a></p></div></div></div>