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.  

Cities around the world are still battling COVID-19 and shaping their way out of the crisis (read OECD Cities Policy Responses to Coronavirus). As the world learns to live with the virus, never have digital technologies and innovation been so valuable to help cities navigate the crisis and accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

The 2nd OECD Roundtable on Smart Cities and Inclusive Growth will bring together key stakeholders from cities, regions, national governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, philanthropy and international organisations to:

• Share the new trends and initiatives on smart cities in the context of the COVID-19 crisis
• Understand what lessons can be learnt from existing indicator frameworks on smart cities
• Identify how measuring smart cities performance can help cities better shape and implement COVID-19 recovery strategies
• Co-produce an OECD framework to assess smart cities’ performance and their contribution to well-being, inclusion, sustainability and resilience.

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