What's the issue?

Over the past two decades, “smart cities” have proliferated around the globe as a way to build more efficient and liveable urban environments. Initially, the concept of “smart cities” was largely supply-driven, with the private sector taking the lead in defining both the problem and the solution. The time has come to take stock of these experimentations! Are smart cities just a buzzword, or do they really deliver better opportunities and well-being for all residents?

What can the OECD offer?

Our work on smart cities and inclusive growth seeks to bridge efficiency and social inclusion to deliver better opportunities and better lives for all residents. 

The OECD's Programme on “Smart Cities and Inclusive Growth” aims to:

• redefine the concept of smart cities around the contribution of digital innovation to better lives for all people;
• measure how smart cities perform and ultimately deliver well-being outcomes for citizens; and
• guide local and national governments in their efforts to reshape city governance, business models and stakeholder engagement.

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About the OECD Roundtable on Smart Cities and Inclusive Growth

The OECD Roundtable on Smart Cities and Inclusive Growth gathers various stakeholders to take stock of research and share policies, practices and knowledge on how to get smart city initiatives right.  

Smart cities represent a key opportunity to help cities reach their climate objectives and drive the global net-zero transition. While digital innovation and new technologies can foster considerable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions across many urban sectors, such as buildings and transports, their take-up or impacts on emission reduction have so far remain limited.

The 3rd OECD Roundtable on Smart Cities and Inclusive Growth brings together key stakeholders from cities, national governments, the private sector, civil society, academia and international organisations to:

• Share the innovative solutions to meet their net-zero objectives
• Understandthe risks and barriers hindering the roll-out of smart city initiatives to boost the net-zero transition
• Identify the enabling factors that can help smart cities meet their net-zero objectives
• Advance the strengthening of the net-zero objective in the OECD Smart City Measurement Framework

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