Goal 11. Cities

Sustainable Cities and Communities

With more than half the world’s population already living in urban environments, ICTs will be essential in offering innovative approaches to managing cities more effectively and holistically – through applications such as smart buildings, smart water management, intelligent transport systems, and new efficiencies in energy consumption and waste management.

Using ICTs to make cities more eco-friendly and sustainable is vital – not just for the well-being of urban inhabitants, but also for the sustainability of the planet..

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Case study – Japan

In Japan, Shiojiri City constructed its own communication infrastructure using optical fibre and ad-hoc wireless networks in addition to the fixed and mobile networks provided by incumbent operators such as NTT, NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and Softbank. The platform on these networks can provide ICT services within the city, such as healthcare, social welfare, disaster mitigation, tracking of children and elderly people using wireless tags, weather observation, etc. The data collected through the municipal infocommunication networks are saved at the centre for analysis and displayed by location, time and event. Shiojiri Incubation Plaza (SIP), accommodated in an independent building, is the centre for IT ventures and entrepreneurs in the city. Shiojiri continues to make strides towards the smart city by promoting capacity building for data analysts and data scientists to ensure that the best possible use is made of the big data collected through the networks.of Eurasia and beyond.
Related links:
Shiojiri City and WSIS Stocktaking

Sound Bite

"A city can be ‘smart’ only if it is sustainable."

Magdy Martínez-Solimán
Assistant Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

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Goal & Targets SDG-11

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

11.1 By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.
11.2 By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons.
11.3 By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.
11.4 Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
11.5 By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
11.6 By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
11.7 By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities.
11.a Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, per-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning.
11.b By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels.
11.c Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials.