Shaping tomorrow’s
smart sustainable cities
today
Cristina Bueti
Adviser, ITU
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City: an holistic system
The winning paradigm:
 economically compete
 sustainably growth
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“Cities are the greatest
creations
of humanity”
– Daniel Libeskind
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Cities account for
about two-thirds
of global energy
demand.
Buildings
produce a
fifth of the
world’s CO2
emissions.
Cities produce
up to 70% of
global
greenhouse
gas
emissions.
Buildings
account for
roughly 40% of
the world’s
energy
use.
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An estimated
80% of global
GDP is
generated
in
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cities.
Every
second, the
urban
population
grows by 2
people.
More than half
of the world's
population will
be living in
urban areas
by 2008.
In the world, over
750 million live in
urban areas
without adequate
shelter and basic
services.
1/3 of people in
developing
countries living
in cities, live in
slum/squatter
settlements.
Almost 180,000
people are
added to the
urban
population each
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By 2050, it is
expected that
70% of the
world
population will
live in urban
areas.
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Crisis or opportunity?
Climate change
Population growth
Resource scarcity
Economic feasibility
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The three dimensions of smart sustainable
cities
Sustainability
SSC
Smartness
Quality of
life
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From design to implementation
 Find funds to scale-up innovation;
 Generating public support;
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 Assessing
progress.
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 Every city has different needs;
 Engaging all stakeholders;
Thinking smart, acting sustainable, living
fulfilled
“ICTs have transformed the way people live and the
manner in which countries develop. They have the
potential to enable us to solve many of the critical
problems confronting us. If this potential is to be
realised, then we must find ways of turning these
technologies into a resource for all people despite the
challenges they face within their communities.”
Nelson Mandela
@ITU Telecom World 2009
ICT can
help…
let’s move
further!
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Technology: turning traditional
infrastructure into smart infrastructure
The role of ICT for:
Better data = better decisions
Intelligent infrastructure
Economic competitiveness
Green and sustainability
Low carbon businesses
Social inclusiveness
Citizens’ engagement
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Setting the vision for smart sustainable cities
Standardizing
Monitoring
Accounting
Rethinking
Transforming
Call to Action on Smart Sustainable Cities
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ITU’s activities on smart sustainable cities
Members:
 UN specialized agency for ICTs
 193 Member States
 unique public/private partnership
 Over 700 Private Sector
International
 the
Over
63 AcademiaTelecommunication
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Focus Group on Smart Sustainable Cities
 Established in 2013;
 Lifetime extended to May 2015;
 As an open platform for
knowledge sharing for
smart-city stakeholders;
 Participation is open to all.
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A roadmap for smart sustainable cities
implementation
 A five-stage
roadmap to action;
 Applicable to any
city in the world;
 Informed decision
making processes.
5. Ensuring accountability and responsibility
4. Defining KPIs, standards and monitoring
3. Identifying and developing smart city services
2. Developing smart infrastructure and integrated platform
1. Setting the basis
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What a smart sustainable city is
First internally agreed definition:
“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 and environmental
aspects”;
1. Setting the basis
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Integrating ICT in cities
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2. Developing smart infrastructure and integrated platform
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Improving all city’s operations
3. Identifying and developing smart city services
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You cannot manage what you cannot
measure!
 Key performance indicators (KPIs)
to assess how the impact of ICT on
the sustainability of cities.
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4. Defining KPIs, standards and monitoring
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Protecting citizens
 Protecting citizens in a new context
of smartness and sustainability.
5. Ensuring accountability and responsibility
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Momentum for change
 Need for technological change,
business change, policy change
and social change;
 Using technology to pursue three
key drivers for any sustainable
economy: productivity, inclusivity
and resilience.
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Suggestions for policy makers
Strategic partnership and
knowledge sharing
Measuring success
Technology access
Funding
Environmental protection
and sustainability
Raising
awareness
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Paving the way to smart sustainable cities
 Leading with vision to foster the design and
implementation of SSC;
 Engaging key stakeholders;
 Enabling a culture of innovation and collaboration.
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AT Design: Floating
future cities
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only
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because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” ― Jane
Jacobs
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Additional information
 ITU-T/SG5 “Environment & Climate Change”
itu.int/go/tsg5
 ITU-T and Climate Change
itu.int/go/ITU-T/climate
THANK YOU!
tsbfgssc@itu.int
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