Contents

Prioritizing Near-Term Quantum Sensor Deployment for Urban Transportation and Construction: A Readiness-Weighted Portfolio Framework for Smart-City Infrastructure

Author(s): Sanjoy Mazumdar1, Akash Sharma1
1University of California, Irvine, United States
Sanjoy Mazumdar
University of California, Irvine, United States
Akash Sharma
University of California, Irvine, United States

Abstract

Quantum sensing is increasingly discussed as a high-potential enabling technology for smart and resilient urban infrastructure, yet the current literature remains stronger at identifying possibilities than at sequencing implementation. The present study addresses that planning gap by converting the most detailed recent review of quantum sensing in civil engineering into an operational decision framework for near-term urban deployment. The analysis focuses on transportation and construction because the source literature identifies these as the most plausible first-adoption domains, particularly where high-resolution traffic control and subsurface intelligence can generate immediate public value. Ten pathway-level applications were coded from the review corpus and assessed through a readiness-weighted portfolio model using five dimensions: expected sensing gain, deployment readiness, integration tractability, public-value externality, and evidentiary specificity. The readiness layer is anchored directly in the quantum technology readiness levels reported for major sensing categories, with magnetometers, gravimeters, and accelerometers treated as the strongest near-term candidates, gyroscopes as advanced but slightly less mature, and imaging-centric pathways as materially earlier in their commercialization cycle. Under the baseline specification, the leading pathways are dynamic traffic control using magnetometer–gravimeter systems (94.4/100), construction-oriented subsurface imaging (93.4/100), and underground metallic utility detection (93.2/100). These priorities remain top-tier under readiness-heavy, public-value-heavy, and integration-heavy scenarios. The manuscript therefore offers a practical smart-city planning contribution: it translates a narrative technology review into a transparent pilot-selection framework for urban development agencies, transport authorities, and construction-delivery organizations seeking a disciplined first-wave quantum sensing strategy.

Keywords: quantum sensing; smart cities; urban infrastructure; transportation systems; construction engineering; deployment prioritization; technology readiness
Copyright © 2024 Sanjoy Mazumdar, Akash Sharma. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Cite this Article

APA
Mazumdar, S., Sharma, A. (2024). Prioritizing Near-Term Quantum Sensor Deployment for Urban Transportation and Construction: A Readiness-Weighted Portfolio Framework for Smart-City Infrastructure. Journal of Urban Development and Smart Cities, 1(1), 84-94. https://doi.org/10.66033/judsc2024-109
MLA
Mazumdar, Sanjoy, and Akash Sharma. "Prioritizing Near-Term Quantum Sensor Deployment for Urban Transportation and Construction: A Readiness-Weighted Portfolio Framework for Smart-City Infrastructure." Journal of Urban Development and Smart Cities, vol. 1, no. 1, 2024, pp. 84-94.
Chicago
Mazumdar, Sanjoy. "Prioritizing Near-Term Quantum Sensor Deployment for Urban Transportation and Construction: A Readiness-Weighted Portfolio Framework for Smart-City Infrastructure." Journal of Urban Development and Smart Cities 1, no. 1 (2024): 84-94. https://doi.org/10.66033/judsc2024-109
Harvard
Mazumdar, S., Sharma, A., 2024. Prioritizing Near-Term Quantum Sensor Deployment for Urban Transportation and Construction: A Readiness-Weighted Portfolio Framework for Smart-City Infrastructure. Journal of Urban Development and Smart Cities, 1(1), pp.84-94.
Vancouver
Mazumdar S, Sharma A. Prioritizing Near-Term Quantum Sensor Deployment for Urban Transportation and Construction: A Readiness-Weighted Portfolio Framework for Smart-City Infrastructure. Journal of Urban Development and Smart Cities. 2024;1(1):84-94.