Page 22 - A U4SSC deliverable - Guidelines on tools and mechanisms to finance Smart Sustainable Cities projects

Box 4: C³PO Collaborative ICT platform in Montreal

C³PO aims to provide a collaborative platform in the cloud for the co-design of cities.
The C³PO platform is unique because it covers the entire urban project development
process where cities empower, encourage and guide different actors (citizens, decision
makers, architects, etc.) to develop an urban project together. C³PO does not intend
to replace or modify existing applications by offering unique but partial city co-design
solutions (simulation tool, open API, 3D modelling and visualization, game tool, etc.) but it
can be seen as an open and generic intermediary that allows interaction between existing
applications through a unique multidimensional semantic repository (covering the different
types of information in city codes such as GIS, BIM, electrical networks, traffic, etc).

https://​itea3​.org/​​
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https://​itea3​.org/​project/​success​-story/​c3po​-success​-story​.html​

Another example is projects that stimulate transition to a “green economy”, as defined by the Green
Economy Initiative, led by UNEP. The Initiative “aims to demonstrate that investing in green sectors
– such as energy-efficient technologies, renewable energy, public transport, sustainable agriculture,
environmentally friendly tourism, and the sustainable management of natural resources, including
ecosystems and biodiversity – has a better chance of bringing about recovery and sustainable
growth, increasing competitiveness, saving and creating jobs, improving the quality and decency
of jobs, and reducing poverty, while tackling acute environmental problems”. 6

Green economy projects not only protect the environment, but also improve the economic, social
and cultural dimensions of a city by increasing employment potential and public transport.

UNECE within one of its technical cooperation projects , developed an approach of work to support
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the SSC transition through evidence-based policies and innovative financing methods.

In order to determine what projects are appropriate for the local context, it is recommended to
start by understanding the potential areas for improvement within the city. National and local
governments can do this by conducting a SSC KPI evaluation using the U4SSC KPI evaluation
methodology. This can be done with the help of the experts from the U4SSC network, upon
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request by the government. The assessment can also be done “in-house”, as the methodology is
openly available and can be used by any urban development expert, inside or outside of the city
or national government.

It is recommended that the assessment evaluation be made publicly available (e.g. on the website of
the city or municipality). Based on the evaluation, the national or local government, with involvement
of relevant stakeholders (e.g. civil society associations, private-sector actors, etc.), is able to develop
an action plan for the city’s sustainable development. It is recommended that this plan includes

4 U4SSC: Guidelines on tools and mechanisms to finance Smart Sustainable Cities projects