Page 40 - Building digital public infrastructure for cities and communities

Country DPI Initiative People reached / Impact Source
Philippines PhilSys National ID 80+ million registered; integrated Philippine Statistics
with government cash transfers Authority
Kenya M-Pesa (Mobile Achieving an 85% Internet Chisika and Yeom,
Payments) penetration rate by 2023 2025
Morocco National Digital ID Millions gained access to welfare World Bank, 2024
and financial services
Egypt InstaPay (Instant National network linking all Egyptian Central Bank,
Payment Network) operating banks within Egypt, 90+ 2023
million financial and non-financial
transaction within Q1 of 2024

Empowering communities through participatory and open infrastructure

Beyond access, DPI can act as a catalyst for citizen empowerment through participatory technology
design and community-driven innovation. A compelling example is the Community-Empowered
Air Quality Monitoring System, where residents of a pollution-affected area collaborated with
developers to create a monitoring platform combining animated smoke visuals, air quality metrics,
wind data and smell reports. Although these residents had limited technical expertise, their co-
creation of a robust monitoring system provided scientific evidence to challenge regulatory
decisions, helping to rebalance power dynamics and enable policy advocacy (Hsu et al., 2017).
This case illustrates the potential of DPI to foster digital citizenship and empower local actors in
governance processes.

Advancing digital inclusion through community and urban strategies

Cities across the globe are advancing digital inclusion by adopting community-centred DPI
strategies. In Detroit, a bottom-up digital equity strategy is being implemented through stakeholder
engagement and community partnerships aimed at expanding broadband, digital skills training
and affordable device access (Wiley et al., 2020). Baltimore City’s Digital Inclusion Strategy similarly
outlines a roadmap for addressing systemic barriers through investments in infrastructure, education
and public Wi-Fi access (City of Baltimore, 2023). On a national scale, municipal broadband
projects – such as the initiative New York – demonstrate how targeted public investment in digital
infrastructure can close access gaps and ensure digital equity (Connect ALL Office, 2024).

Kenya’s Tatu City integrates DPI principles into urban development, providing affordable housing
alongside digital services for low-income populations (Blomfield, 2025). These global initiatives
reinforce the idea that DPI, when embedded within broader governance and planning strategies,
can serve as a powerful tool to dismantle digital inequities and promote inclusive development.

5.2 Efficient and responsive governance

Traditional city administrations often struggle with fragmented information systems, siloed
departments and manual processes that create bottlenecks in public service delivery. DPI

27