Page 20 - U4SSC Case study Daegu, Korea (Republic of), February 2022

As cities comprise multidimensional interactive systems, city governments are using performance-
measurement tools to assess progress towards desired goals. Based on the results, they re-orient
their actions to ensure that the needs of their inhabitants are met with respect to sustainability. 2

"How city systems interact, how we interact with these systems, and how we interact with each other
are questions of key importance to COVID-19 response and recovery, but also key importance to
our ability to contend with challenges of all kinds."
Chaesub Lee, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau

Such actions conducted on behalf of governments are supported by the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) framework, which was adopted universally by the General Assembly of the United
Nations. Within this framework, the 17 SDGs encompass 169 targets aimed at monitoring a diverse
range of domains, including poverty, food security, health, education, gender equality, water
management, clean energy, job security, innovation, effective production systems, climate action,
life on land and in water, collaboration for the goals and, last but not least, sustainable cities.

2 ITU, smart sustainable cities and Daegu

Stepping into the smart and sustainability city sphere in 2013, the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies
(ICTs), in its role as an international standards development organization (SDO), established the
Focus Group on Smart Sustainable Cities (FG-SSC). In 2015, the work of this Focus Group concluded
with the approval of 21 Technical Specifications and Reports, and the establishment of one of the
first international definitions that effectively captured the complementary essence of “smartness”
and “sustainability”.

Subsequently, together with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the
definition was revised and agreed upon as follows:

"A smart sustainable city is an innovative city that uses information and communication
technologies (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".
Recommendation ITU-T Y.4900

Since then, ITU has played a leading role in providing a platform where the concepts of smart,
sustainable cities are elaborated, discussed, developed and standardized. More information on
ITU’s activities and roles are discussed at the end of this case study.

2 U4SSC Case study | Daegu, Korea (Republic of) | February 2022