Page 188 - Shaping smarter and more sustainable cities - Striving for sustainable development goals

Considering that citizens' welfare is a priority of any SSC, job creation and maintenance must be
rallied as the cornerstone during the developmental stage of SSC. Hence, an important challenge
for SSC stakeholders at all levels is to take advantage of the projects and transformations the city
will go through to generate employment and promote the creation of new businesses, so that the
city's economy can benefit from this transformation. In other words, a multi‐stakeholder approach
is crucial as a variety of stakeholders working together can not only contribute to the transformation
of the city towards becoming smart and sustainable but also in getting though tackling challenges
more easily and more effectively.
 Technological challenges

While the number of mobile‐broadband subscriptions has reached 2.3 million with 55% of them in
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developing countries, most SSC solutions require the support of ICT infrastructure and services
that many cities still lack. This includes widespread Internet broadband, comprehensive mobile
network or communication networks for sensors, among others. The deployment of such
infrastructure constitutes a major challenge that needs to be overcome. This problem is particularly
acute in developing countries where the existing infrastructure is inadequate and connectivity rates
remain low, a situation often referred to as the 'digital gap'.
When planning the deployment or the upgrading of ICT technology, it is important to consider the
adaptability, scalability, accessibility, safety and flexibility of this infrastructure. Incorporation of
technology with the current infrastructure is also a very important issue to be addressed.

Another challenge in this category is the lack of accessibility to information about the technology.
This is partly attributed to the novelty of this field and also because companies are protective about
their technological knowhow. Collaboration and sharing of know‐how could be very beneficial in
improving access. For instance, information about the specific technology used in the initiatives that
are being carried out in different cities could be of use to others who may want to replicate their
actions. It is evident that information sharing is important to ensure success for smart sustainable
cities. Stakeholders working together and sharing information will lead to better decision making in
the long run.
 Low levels of citizen engagement and participation
Citizens' participation in the development of municipal projects is critical for urban development.
As core users of city services, it is important that city planning strategies include the vision and
expectations of the citizenry. ICT technologies such as mobile applications or social media tools can
be very helpful to enable citizen engagement and participation. According to the Eurocities
Initiatives Report “Citizen participation: paving the path to new city politics”, citizens' participation
improves city management, promotes social cohesion and reinforces political engagement. The
integration of the perspective and opinions of city residents into local policies can support the
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adaptation of city services to their daily needs.
 Scarcity of natural resources
Cities are facing serious environmental challenges related to issues such as energy, water, air
quality, sanitation, waste management and other city management activities. According to the
KPMG report "Expect the Unexpected: Building business value in a changing world", cities will
require extensive improvements in infrastructure including basic city services to manage efficiently
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10 http://www.itu.int/en/ITU‐D/Statistics/Documents/facts/ICTFactsFigures2014‐e.pdf

11 http://www.eurocities2012.eu/fichier/p_ressource/4548/ressource_fichier_en_citizen.participation.
eurocities.2012.nantes.pdf.pdf

178 ITU‐T's Technical Reports And Specifications