The Information Session on the recently launched “Toolkit on Digital Transformation for People-oriented Cities and Communities" was organized by the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB) of the ITU with the support of the ITU Office for Europe, and took place virtually on Tuesday 21 June from 14:30 to 15:30 CEST.
ITU is committed to driving a human-centered environmentally-sound digital development through the use of ICTs in its programs and activities in the Europe region and globally. In this regard, ITU is coordinating with UNECE and UN-Habitat the “United for Sustainable Smart Cities" (U4SSC), an international platform for information exchange and partnership building to guide cities and communities in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The new Toolkit launched by ITU in close collaboration with other 10 UN entities and cities supports strategizing and planning the digital transformation of cities and communities to promote sustainable, inclusive, resilient, and improved quality of life for residents in cities and communities.
The resources contained in this Toolkit, acting as a one-stop guide, include international standards and guidance, the latest research and projections, and cutting-edge reports on a variety of timely topics relevant to the digital transformation of cities and communities. The Toolkit can universally benefit cities and communities, as well as regions and countries regardless of their level of smart or digital development, or their geographical or economic status. Overall, the toolkit aims to support cities and communities to leverage potential solutions to identified challenges to maximize positive impacts and support progress toward the SDGs, especially SDG 11, at the local level.
The objective of this information session was to provide an overview of the Toolkit, its functionalities, and stakeholders that can benefit from it. It also provided a snapshot of the commonly identified challenges to advance people-oriented digital transformation at the local level and presented a series of solutions that may be scaled up. This information session was also the occasion to zoom in on some of ITU's efforts in driving people-centered cities and communities, through the development and implementation of ITU standards and indicators on smart sustainable cities, buildings, electronic waste, and the circular economy. Overall, this information session was also provide a platform for exchange on the topic.
