The road to a sustainable smart city

Socio-economic development has advanced by leaps and bounds at an unprecedented rate, but it has also brought unprecedented environmental costs. People get into cities for better education and employment opportunities and higher wage income. The global urban population has grown by an average of 65 million annually for the past 30 years, which is equivalent to an increase of 7 Chicago each year.

As of 2014, 453 million people live in 28 megacities around the world. At present, 54% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, allowing the city to experience a variety of problems that arise from the continuous growth of rural to urban migration, including the scarcity of basic convenience facilities, environmental crises, and the continuous increase in population. All of this has made it almost The bleak city and its aging infrastructure collapsed.

Forecasts show that these trends will continue. It is estimated that by 2050, the total population of the global city will increase to 66%. Cities typically account for 75% to 80% of a country's gross domestic product (GDP), and are therefore seen as the main engines of global economic growth. On the other hand, urban planners may not fully consider that 50% of global waste and 60% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from cities.

The provision of natural resources such as water, land, and fossil fuels is under increasing pressure. People are increasingly concerned about the viability of existing transportation infrastructure, adequate provision of health care, educational opportunities, and the overall safety of the growing population in urban areas.

City Leaders Guide

Urban stakeholders are facing a dilemma in their efforts to make cities a driver of economic growth, or to focus on issues such as the excessive use and dependence of resources that are associated with increasing population. In response to this challenge, the ITU's Sustainable Smart Cities Focus Group (FG-SSC) is striving to find a way to a sustainable smart city.

The concept of "Sustainable Smart City" (SSC) emerged more than a decade ago and aims to use the potential of information and communication technology (ICT) in urban governance systems to create not only economic and social advancements, but also to achieve environmental A city that is continuously targeted.

In view of this, city stakeholders can plan and build their own sustainable smart cities based on the approach described in the FG-SSC “Sustainable Smart City Technology Report: City Leaders Guide”.

ICT and Sustainable Smart City

The integration of ICTs with important SSC procedures is closely linked to achieving sustainable development. ICT helps to build SSC through innovation and redesign existing programs, including new applications, technologies and systems for smart energy, smart transportation, smart buildings, smart water management, and smart government.

ICT can provide a comprehensive strategic approach for the sustainable and intelligent development of SSC and become a strong support for urban construction. The integration of ICTs with existing urban infrastructure will also play a major role in achieving the UN's post-2015 sustainable development goals (SDGs), focusing on building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and promoting innovation. 9; and Goal 11 to make cities and Habitat inclusive, safe, adaptive, and sustainable. It can also play a key role in raising the level of education, achieving gender equality, raising awareness about issues and strengthening global development cooperation.