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Smart cities are conceptualized as a vehicle for sustainable urban development and a means to deliver high quality of life for residents. One of the core functions of a smart city consists in the continuous monitoring of events, assets and people and the use of this information and intelligence for the streamlining of the city’s operations. Public opinion represents one type of intelligence of particular importance and value. By monitoring public opinion, governments seek to understand prevalent views about the current events and policies, as well as identify extreme views and trends that may represent problematic situations or precursors to violent actions. Ultimately, maintaining a constant awareness of public opinion means that authorities can better assess and predict public reactions in relation to ongoing events, and thus take appropriate actions to maintain public safety. Due to the popular use of social media to …