Page 11 - Guide for smart and sustainable city leaders: Envisioning sustainable digital transformation

Preface

International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

Cities are home to more than half of the world's people and it is estimated that two-thirds of
the global population will live in cities by 2050.

Cities are drivers of economic growth, generating more than 80 per cent of global GDP, but
they are also responsible for two-thirds of global energy consumption and more than 70 per
cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Digital transformation is key to the ambitions of all sectors comprising a city ecosystem,
from energy and water to manufacturing, commerce, health, education, and mobility. This
transformation has the potential to make cities more efficient and sustainable, transforming the
lives of billions of people for the better.

This guide for city leaders outlines practical steps to envisage and build smart sustainable cities
with the help of ethical, inclusive applications of new technologies in areas such as artificial
intelligence, the Internet of Things, and digital twins.

One of the key messages of this guide is that digital transformation is an all-encompassing
process which – in addition to identifying the right technologies – requires holistic vision,
planning, leadership and, most importantly, people with the right skills.

The guide also highlights the critical role played by international standards in the creation of
smart and sustainable cities, standards that city stakeholders develop collaboratively on the ITU
platform to help cities develop and implement citizen-centric, interoperable, and sustainable
solutions.

I express my gratitude to all contributors to this guide for their commitment of time and expertise
to this important project, and I encourage city leaders to capitalize on this guide and ITU
standards as tools to accelerate progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Seizo Onoe
Director, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

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