Blockchain‑Enabled Information Systems for Secure Data Management in Smart Cities

Abstract

Modern smart cities rely on the continuous collection, analysis and sharing of data from millions of sensors, vehicles and public services. These large data volumes are essential for informed decision‑making but expose cities to vulnerabilities such as data tampering, unauthorized access and privacy breaches. Recent research shows that blockchain’s properties—decentralization, immutability and consensus—offer a transparent and tamper‑proof backbone for smart city information systems. This paper reviews state‑of‑the‑art blockchain‑enabled systems and proposes a unified framework for secure data management in smart cities. We synthesize insights from literature on decentralized trust models, access control for IoT devices, hybrid detection and prevention schemes, consensus mechanisms and blockchain energy trading, waste management, smart governance and patient digital twins. The paper then presents a conceptual architecture for blockchain‑enabled information systems and compares existing frameworks using quantitative metrics such as transaction throughput and detection accuracy. The analysis shows that integrating blockchain with edge computing and smart contracts supports secure real‑time services for transportation, healthcare, energy trading and waste management while addressing challenges such as scalability and privacy. We conclude with a discussion of outstanding challenges and recommendations for future research.