Digital Metropolis - Working Paper: Projects for Metropolitan Digital Transition

Projects for Metropolitan Digital Transition is a Working Paper jointly developed by UN-Habitat’s MetroHUB initiative and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) to guide metropolitan and local authorities, urban experts and practitioners, as well as technology solution developers, in shaping a metropolitan-scale digital transition. The document provides a practical framework to move from standalone initiatives to integrated projects that create public value, strengthen inter-municipal coordination, and build institutional capacity. 

Throughout the paper, digital transformation is understood as far more than adopting technology: it requires strengthening capabilities, clarifying institutional arrangements, and improving coordination across jurisdictions to tackle challenges that no single municipality can solve alone. 

The paper also brings together a set of pilot project ideas designed to accelerate digital transition from a metropolitan perspective. These proposals are framed as enabling, adaptable projects suited to different institutional and territorial realities, aimed at creating the conditions for inter-municipal integration, shared data use, and better decision-making. Broadly, the proposed lines of work include: artificial intelligence for anticipatory and targeted interventions; IoT and sensor networks for real-time monitoring and management; GIS and 3D visualization for integrated spatial analysis; urban digital twins for scenario simulation and policy testing; and multichannel digital services to expand access to procedures, services, and participation across the metropolitan system. 

Overall, the document calls for a step change: from sector-by-sector or municipality-by-municipality digitalization to a metropolitan project agenda that is interoperable, scalable, and public-value driven, strengthening governance, reducing internal gaps, and enabling more coordinated, inclusive, and resilient management.