ITU-T Y.4903 PDF

This Recommendation outlines the key performance indicators (KPIs) in the context of smart sustainable cities (SSC) used to assess the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Evaluating these indicators can help cities as well as their stakeholders understand to what extent they may be perceived as smart and sustainable.

The sustainability of a smart city is based on five main aspects:

– Economic: The ability to generate income and employment for the livelihood of the inhabitants.

– Social: The ability to ensure that the welfare (safety, health, education, etc.) of the citizens can be equally delivered despite differences in class, race or gender.

– Environmental: The ability to protect future quality and reproducibility of natural resources.

– Governance: The ability to maintain social conditions of stability, democracy, participation and justice.

– Cultural: The ability to promote cultural identity and adequacy, value and emotional well-being.

This Recommendation can be utilized by:

– Cities and municipal administrations, including the SSC-relevant policy-making organizations and government sectors, enabling them to develop strategies for making cities smarter and more sustainable.

– City residents and non-profit citizen organizations, enabling them to understand the development and progress of SSC.

– Development and operation organizations of SSC, including planning units, SSC-related producers and service providers and operation and maintenance organizations, helping them to fulfil the tasks of sharing information related to the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) and its impact on the sustainability of cities.

– Third party agencies and academia, supporting them in the selection of relevant KPIs for assessing the development of SSC.

The intention of identifying the KPIs is to establish the criteria to evaluate cities' performances and their progress towards becoming smarter and more sustainable and to provide the cities with the means for self-assessments. Cities are encouraged to periodically check their performances against the recommended indicators listed in this Recommendation in order to improve their performance.

This Recommendation lists the core indicators that have been selected as being applicable for all cities. The goals for moving towards increased smartness and sustainability differ between cities. Thus, based on their population growth, geographical locations, environmental conditions, demography, etc., cities may also select appropriate additional indicators among those listed in Appendix I.

This Recommendation focuses on general development of cities. Cities with particular interest in ICT development may refer to [ITU-T Y.4901] and [ITU-T Y.4902].