Summary

Recommendation ITU-T Y.4905 is a holistic impact framework for the assessment of smart and sustainable cities to address the effects of digital innovation on social, economic and environmental issues. Smart sustainable city (SSC) initiatives have been proposed as potential solutions to economic, social and environmental challenges and pressures encountered by cities. Advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) enable significant transformation potential in the way city resources, services and infrastructures are planned and managed. More specifically, ICT can play an enabling role to address the urban challenges of the twenty-first century. Smart sustainable cities harness ICTs (including various subtopics under ICT such as digital transformation, data, Internet of things (IoT), digital services, etc.) and intend to deliver city enhancements through a portfolio of action items. By their very nature, SSC initiatives impact the underlying cities. It is important to identify and asses this impact. The identification and assessment of impact will allow for better planning, the setting expectations with stakeholders, better informed budgeting, more effective public private partnerships and the promotion of alternative financing mechanisms. This will also help in communicating SSC initiatives.