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Journals / Türkiye İnsansız Hava Araçları Dergisi / 2026 / Sayı: 8

The Role of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Smart Cities: Local Government Applications and Future Prospects

Akıllı Kentlerde İnsansız Hava Araçlarının Rolü: Yerel Yönetim Uygulamaları ve Gelecek Perspektifi

Aslıhan Çiçek0000-0003-0509-0335
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Publication Date
2026-07-31
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The study emphasizes that UAV-supported smart city applications are not merely a technological preference but a requirement for a modern and sustainable urban planning approach.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Rapid urbanization and digital transformation processes compel local governments to adopt innovative and data-driven solutions in urban service delivery.
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Key Findings & Data:Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which have become one of the most strategic components of the smart city ecosystem, are creating a revolutionary transformation in urban governance with their high-resolution data collection and real-time response capabilities.
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Conclusion & Impact:The study emphasizes that UAV-supported smart city applications are not merely a technological preference but a requirement for a modern and sustainable urban planning approach.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Akıllı kentler · insansız hava araçları · yerel yönetimler

Abstract

Rapid urbanization and digital transformation processes compel local governments to adopt innovative and data-driven solutions in urban service delivery. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which have become one of the most strategic components of the smart city ecosystem, are creating a revolutionary transformation in urban governance with their high-resolution data collection and real-time response capabilities. This study aims to analyze the operational roles of UAV technologies in smart cities, focusing on local government applications. Within the scope of the study, the opportunities offered by UAVs in core municipal services such as urban planning, illegal construction supervision, zoning control, environmental monitoring, and traffic management are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the vital functions of UAVs in rapid response, search and rescue, and damage assessment processes during disaster situations such as earthquakes, floods, and fires are evaluated. The study discusses how these technologies accelerate the decision-making mechanisms of local governments, reduce operational costs, and contribute to urban resilience. In the future perspective section, opportunities such as 5G integration, AI-powered autonomous systems, and urban air mobility are analyzed alongside barriers to be overcome, such as legal regulations, data security, and privacy. The conclusion section provides a strategic roadmap for local governments to integrate UAV technologies into their digital service agendas. The study emphasizes that UAV-supported smart city applications are not merely a technological preference but a requirement for a modern and sustainable urban planning approach.

Özet

Kentleşme hızı ve dijital dönüşüm, yerel yönetimleri kentsel hizmet sunumunda veriye dayalı çözümlere yöneltmektedir. İnsansız hava araçları (İHA), yüksek çözünürlüklü veri toplama ve gerçek zamanlı müdahale kapasiteleri nedeniyle akıllı kent uygulamalarında giderek daha yaygın biçimde kullanılmaktadır. Bu çalışma, İHA teknolojilerinin akıllı kentlerdeki operasyonel işlevlerini yerel yönetim uygulamaları üzerinden incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çalışma kapsamında kentsel planlama, kaçak yapı denetimi, imar kontrolü, çevresel izleme ve trafik yönetimi gibi temel belediye hizmetlerinde İHA'ların sunduğu olanaklar ayrıntılı olarak ele alınmaktadır. Deprem, sel ve yangın gibi afet durumlarında hızlı müdahale, arama kurtarma ve hasar tespiti süreçlerinde İHA'ların üstlendiği işlevler de değerlendirilmektedir. Çalışmada bu teknolojilerin yerel yönetimlerin karar alma mekanizmalarını nasıl hızlandırdığı, operasyonel maliyetleri hangi koşullarda azalttığı ve kentsel dirençliliğe ne şekilde katkı sunduğu tartışılmaktadır. Gelecek perspektifine ayrılan bölümde 5G entegrasyonu, yapay zekâ destekli otonom sistemler ve kentsel hava mobilitesi gibi olanaklar; hukuki düzenlemeler, veri güvenliği ve mahremiyet gibi aşılması gereken kısıtlarla birlikte incelenmektedir. Sonuç bölümünde yerel yönetimlerin İHA teknolojilerini dijital hizmet gündemlerine dâhil etmesine yönelik stratejik bir yol haritası sunulmaktadır. Çalışma, İHA destekli akıllı kent uygulamalarını sürdürülebilir bir kent planlaması yaklaşımının işlevsel bileşenlerinden biri olarak değerlendirmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Çiçek, A. (2026). The Role of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Smart Cities: Local Government Applications and Future Prospects. Türkiye İnsansız Hava Araçları Dergisi, Sayı: 8. https://doi.org/10.51534/tiha.1937748

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