Page 149 - Shaping smarter and more sustainable cities - Striving for sustainable development goals

Master plan for smart sustainable cities
Executive Summary

This Technical Report has been developed within the Focus Group on Smart Sustainable Cities
(FG‐SSC) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It aims to foster the design and
implementation of an integrated management scheme on Smart Sustainable Cities (SSC), proposing
feasible phases to develop a City Master Plan that can be followed by any municipality interested in
utilizing Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as enablers of urban transformation.

Defined as "an innovative city that uses ICTs and other means to improve quality of life, efficiency of
urban operation and services, and competitiveness, while ensuring that it meets the needs of present
and future generations with respect to economic, social, environmental as well as cultural aspects”,
the notion of SSC is becoming crucial to overcome the challenges and benefit from the opportunities
that characterize complex urban environments.

Amidst the challenges posed by rapid urbanization and multiple/concurrent vulnerability
dimensions (e.g., economic, social, political and environmental), decision‐makers are facing the
pressing need to re‐think and re‐define the way in which infrastructure is built, services are offered,
citizens are engaged, and systems linked, with the aim of transforming cities into more sustainable
and robust living environments.

Based on the work conducted by FG‐SSC members and contributing organizations, this technical
report suggests that SSC Master Plan is a dynamic process that involves four inter‐connected phases.
The starting point of the proposed Master Plan is the recognition that, while technology is an
essential component of strategies to develop and implement SSC, cities are about people. Therefore,
any strategy aimed at making urban systems smarter and more sustainable, should be focused on
ultimately improving the quality of life of the city's inhabitants through novel, more efficient, and
increasingly inclusive ICT‐enabled approaches.
In order to follow the suggested phases of the Master Plan, it is very important to start by defining
a baseline of the actual city status; "Phase 1: Setting the Basis for a smart sustainable city". This
baseline will provide municipalities with valuable information about the strengths and weaknesses
of the city. This information allows the design of specific projects, aimed at improving the weaker
aspects of the city.

The "Phase 2: Strategic Planning" for a SSC, including the governance, leadership and citizen
engagement is required to move SSC's vision forward in short, medium and long term. The early
identification of inclusive stakeholder and citizen engagement mechanisms (to be implemented
throughout the process) is seen as a key component of the SSC Master Plan.

It is also extremely important to reach a consensus among local authorities and other stakeholders
during the definition of the priorities and objectives of a smart sustainable city. Becoming a smart
sustainable city is a long‐term path that can be slowed down and/or hindered by political
disagreements. Hence, SSC cannot be used as a "political tool" and instead should be fostered as a
long‐term strategy to improve the quality of life in the city.

The "Phase 3: Action Plan", has to do with the planning and development of strategic lines of action
of the city, the identification of SSC initiatives to be developed, and the establishment of the ICT
technology plan.

ITU‐T's Technical Reports and Specifications 139