Forum on Connected by Design: Building Inclusive Digital Infrastructure for Future-Ready Cities

Introduction

The Forum on Connected by Design: Building Inclusive Digital Infrastructure for Future-Ready Cities will bring together global leaders, city innovators, and digital visionaries for a high-level forum exploring how Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) can transform cities and communities into more inclusive, resilient, and citizen-centric spaces. The Forum will take place on 15 September 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.

This event will spotlight scalable approaches to interoperable digital ID, payments, data sharing, and smart urban governance, bridging policy, technology, and social impact.

The Forum will be held in English.

Participation
Participation is open to policymakers, business leaders and industry experts, representatives, other UN agencies, academia, civil society, other regional organizations, NGOs, private sector, and other relevant stakeholders. Participation is free of charge and open to all interested stakeholders including ITU Member States, Sector Members, Associates and Academic Institutions and to any individual from a country that is a member of ITU and who wishes to contribute to the work.

The Forum will be collocated with the meeting of ITU-T Study Group 20 (Internet of Things, digital twins and smart sustainable cities and communities) taking place on 15 to 25 September 2025 and meeting of the Joint Coordination Activity on Internet of Things, digital twins and smart sustainable cities and communities (JCA-IoT, DT and SSC&C), taking place on 26 September 2025.