“Guiding Principles for People-Centred Smart Cities in the AI Era” – Consultation

Great progress was made yesterday on the “Guiding Principles for People-Centred Smart Cities in the AI Era”. The consultation, led by ITU and UN-Habitat, helped streamline the document, which is intended for key actors shaping, governing and delivering digital and AI-enabled transformation in cities: particularly mayors, deputy mayors, city managers, heads of municipal departments and other senior decision-makers.

The practical guide will be launched in November at the United Nations Pavilion during the Barcelona Smart City Expo. Ahead of the launch, ITU and UN-Habitat are organizing exchanges with representatives of Local and Regional Governments through selected city networks.

If you are a city representative interested in contributing to the document, please reach out by email at info@globalcitieshub.org. We are also keen to connect cities willing to be among the first to test the guiding principles after the November launch and provide initial feedback with ITU.

At its core, the approach is about ensuring that technology responds to a clearly identified urban challenge and people’s needs, while anticipating potential impacts and applying people-centred smart city principles.

This represents a shift from technology for efficiency towards technology for people and with people. It starts with urban challenges, people’s needs and desired outcomes, with technology considered as one of several means to achieve them. The next frontier of urban transformation may involve increasingly autonomous urban systems combining AI, digital twins, IoT, robotics and advanced connectivity.

The publication is structured around four chapters:

• People-Centred Smart City Compass – a tool for self-assessment;
• City Implementation Cycle – a step-by-step approach to applying the principles;
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Improvement – guidance on assessing impact at city level;
• City Toolkit – practical tools, templates, checklists and resources to support implementation.

While outcomes will vary according to each city’s context, priorities, resources and level of digital maturity, a people-centred smart city in the AI era should ultimately contribute to three interconnected outcomes: improved quality of life; greater participation, inclusion and trust; and greater public value.