Smart cities drive economic growth and enhance communities’ readiness for a more sustainable future
Dubai, 6 July / WAM / The World Government Summit Foundation has confirmed that smart cities have become an essential pillar for sustainable economic growth, preserving the environment, and improving the quality of life, noting that cities that succeed in integrating technology into urban planning processes are more capable of confronting climate challenges, improving services, enhancing flexibility, and supporting future generations.
This was stated in a new strategic report entitled “Smart Cities: Integrating Technology to Achieve Sustainable Urban Development,” issued by the World Government Summit Foundation in cooperation with Deloitte, and reviewing the contribution of emerging technologies in reshaping urban environments and enabling cities to become more sustainable, interconnected, flexible and livable.
The report emphasized that sustainable urban development is no longer a future aspiration, but rather an urgent necessity, in light of the continued growth of population in cities and the escalation of climate risks, which requires cities to build integrated systems that combine advanced technologies, sustainable infrastructure, effective governance, and active community participation, ensuring the achievement of prosperity and resilience in the long term.
He explained that about 70% of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050, which confirms the importance of accelerating sustainable urban development efforts, pointing out that cities produce more than 70% of global carbon emissions, consume more than two-thirds of energy, while contributing more than 80% of the global gross domestic product.
Reem Bajash, Deputy Director of the World Government Summit Foundation, confirmed that sustainable urban development has become one of the main priorities for governments around the world, in light of the reshaping of the future of cities due to accelerating urban expansion, population growth, climate change, and increasing pressures on infrastructure and services.
She said that technology provides governments with unprecedented opportunities to enhance the resilience of cities, improve service delivery, raise the efficiency of resource management, and enhance readiness for the future, stressing that cities that succeed in integrating technology with sustainability goals will be more able to attract investments, improve the quality of life, create economic opportunities, and maintain their competitiveness in an increasingly interconnected world.
She added that governments are paying increasing attention to smart and sustainable urban development, given the pivotal role that cities play in supporting economic growth, social well-being, environmental sustainability, and national competitiveness, noting that the report forecast the future of this important sector, and stressed that governments must ensure the readiness of cities to meet the increasing demand for housing, transportation, energy, health care, and other basic services, while reducing environmental impacts and enhancing flexibility.
The report stressed that technology should not be viewed as just a tool for modernization, but rather as a strategic possibility for urban transformation, as artificial intelligence technologies, digital twins, the Internet of Things, advanced connectivity, and predictive analytics contribute to helping cities improve energy consumption, develop transportation systems, enhance the ability to confront climate change, and improve residents’ experiences.
The report focused on three main dimensions of smart city development, including: Employing technology to modernize urban infrastructure to enhance sustainable practices, enhance climate resilience and quality of life through smart urban innovation, and build governance systems and an integrated digital infrastructure to support sustainable urban development.
The report highlighted how smart energy systems, smart transportation networks, digital water management platforms, and city-level digital twins can help governments improve service delivery while reducing environmental impacts. He also reviewed international models and experiences that illustrate the role of technology in supporting circular economy initiatives, strategies for reducing carbon emissions, and efforts to adapt to climate change.
The report also addressed the challenges related to policy, governance, financing, and interoperability that cities must address to ensure the successful expansion of smart city initiatives, stressing the importance of public digital infrastructure, common standards, cybersecurity, and collaborative governance models in supporting urban resilience in the long term.
The report indicated that emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, next-generation communication technologies, advanced robotics, technologies, and predictive analytics, are expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of urban development and redefining the mechanisms of providing services to the population, stressing that the future of urban development will depend on the ability of cities to combine technological innovation, sustainability, inclusion, and long-term flexibility.
The report can be viewed through the link:
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