Developing nations defining smart cities of the future.

As urbanization continues to surge in Africa and Asia, these regions are at the forefront of shaping the future of cities. To achieve sustainable outcomes, smart cities with high-tech, climate-positive infrastructure will be crucial. Civic leaders who are forward-thinking will seek to integrate urban systems further.

Innovation now in smart cities have been creating impactful change; used to take an hour to call an ambulance, but now using integrated data systems to manage traffic, health services, and transport, allowing emergency services to cut through traffic using "green corridors" and reach those in need in half the time. The city's authorities gather integrated data in a command-and-control center, which enables teams to work more efficiently, improving livability standards and increasing energy efficiency of services by 50%. This kind of digital thinking is leading to the development of new, climate-positive infrastructure in developing nations, combining high-tech approaches with highly accessible grassroots networks to enable actionable change. As the economic slowdown accelerates, countries and businesses are seeking cost- and carbon-efficient workarounds that support social development and growth. Many cities across Africa and Asia are harnessing smart city technologies to drive efficiency, cut pollution, and support citizen welfare. These solutions are not limited to developing world cities; South Korea's capital, Seoul, has embraced smart city solutions to achieve energy independence and sharing by installing solar panels, hydrogen fuel-cell plants, and micro-wind turbine deployments to manage a more complex energy ecosystem with a lower carbon footprint.

The role of digitalization is becoming increasingly important in the evolution of infrastructure and the development of new sustainable cities. The recent launch of the WEF smart city toolkit highlights the potential for digital systems to be used in the creation of more efficient, sustainable cities.

As emphasized in the most recent IPCC report, the way in which civic authorities evolve in the next decade will be crucial to keeping the possibility of a 1.5°C future alive. With an estimated 2.5 billion more people projected to move into urban areas by 2050, particularly in Asia and Africa, new models of sustainable urbanization are essential.

The development of smart cities is one such model, with cities across Africa and Asia using smart systems to drive efficiency, reduce pollution, and improve citizen welfare. India's PCMC is a prime example of this, using smart systems to reduce pollution by 12% and cut water lost from the sewerage system by 25%.

Aquapolo, Brazil's largest water recycling authority, also uses digital systems to optimize its water purification plants, increasing operational efficiency by 15%. The result is the conservation of one liter of water for every clean liter produced, protecting scarce resources for Sao Paolo.

As we move towards a more sustainable future, the potential of digitalization to transform infrastructure and create more livable, resilient cities is becoming increasingly clear. From developing world cities to ultra-modern cities like Seoul, the use of digital solutions is playing a vital role in enabling actionable change towards a more sustainable future.

In addition to the benefits of increased efficiency, reduced pollution, and improved citizen welfare, smart city solutions can also contribute to energy independence and lower carbon footprints. For example, South Korea's capital, Seoul, is using digital systems to manage a more complex energy ecosystem with a lower carbon footprint, combining solar panels, hydrogen fuel-cell plants, and micro-wind turbines to create a more resilient and sustainable energy infrastructure.

As the economic slowdown continues to drive cost and carbon-efficient workarounds, the momentum towards sustainable urbanization is likely to grow. The development of sustainable smart cities in Africa and Asia, in particular, will be crucial to achieving a 1.5°C future, and the use of digital systems will play a critical role in creating these cities.

With the launch of the smart city toolkit, there is now a framework for cities around the world to develop more efficient, sustainable infrastructure. By leveraging the power of digital systems, cities can improve energy efficiency, reduce pollution, and create more livable environments for their citizens, while contributing to the global effort to combat climate change.

The development of sustainable smart cities using digital systems is essential for achieving a 1.5°C future and creating livable, resilient urban environments. From developing world cities to modern cities like Seoul, the potential of digital solutions to transform infrastructure and create more sustainable cities is enormous, and the momentum towards sustainable urbanization is growing.