The rapid rise of urban populations presents unprecedented challenges for city planners in optimizing mobility, resource allocation, environmental sustainability, and quality of life. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in addressing these challenges, enabling smart cities that are efficient, responsive, and sustainable. This paper reviews state-of-the-art AI techniques applied to urban infrastructure, highlights real-world implementations, identifies barriers to adoption, and proposes a roadmap for future research. The findings suggest that AI can significantly enhance urban sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity, provided that policy, ethics, and data governance frameworks evolve in tandem.
Keywords: AI, environmental sustainability, smart cities.