People-Centred and Green Technology Innovation

Smart cities have the potential to use digital technologies and data to guide better decision-making with respect to prosperity, sustainability, resilience, emergency management or effective and equitable service delivery.

This session takes stock of recent initiatives on inclusive smart cities. The urban digital transformation needs to be more aligned with national and local priorities, people’s needs, inclusion and human rights considerations, environmental sustainability, resilience and climate action – as set out in the New Urban Agenda and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Cities as varied as London, Barcelona, Warsaw, Johannesburg, Buenos Aires, Sao Paolo, Singapore and Seoul are taking a more human-centric approach to smart city transition.

Digital innovations for inclusive and greener cities

1. How do we ensure that the full potential of urban technology and innovation is realized, especially when it comes to reducing the environmental impact of cities?
2. Voices are increasingly being raised calling for international guidelines or principles on people-centered smart cities to support interoperability, co-operation and the application of smart cities to achieve globally agreed sustainability goals. What should such guidelines include?
3. What financing is needed to bridge the digital divide, ensure that the potential of smart cities are shared among all urban residents and reduce environmental impact?
4. What kinds of technologies are needed to put people-centered smart cities into practice? What are the technology financing gaps and how technology transfer be financed? How can technologies help achieve the needed ecological transitions.  
5. What multi-level governance framework, regulations, policies and practices are needed for people-centered smart cities?
6. How can we put in place the appropriate multi-stakeholder collaborations for people-centered smart cities. What in particular is the role of the private sector and public-private partnerships?
7. How do we move away from the top-down, surveillance-based smart city approach, towards one that is more grounded in the needs of cities and urban residents?
8. How can smart city projects better align with the ambitions in the New Urban Agenda and the SDGs, for example providing affordable and green housing, sustainable transport, green public spaces and reduced environmental impact of cities?