Monitoring Smart Inclusive Transitions for an Equitable Urban Future, Using Global Urban Monitoring Framework

By 2030, cities worldwide will house two-thirds of the global population, becoming hubs of both innovation and inequality. Inevitably, some will have better access to urban services than others, prompting a critical question: how can we redefine our approach to building more equitable urban futures? This publication presents a Smart-Inclusive Transition (SIT). SIT leverages smart technology to ensure that all citizens – regardless of abilities, location, or socio-economic status – can access, share, and benefit from essential information and services. Such an enabling approach aligns with and effectively supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

To ensure “accessibility for all,” SIT guides cities in directing their resources into key strategic areas: e.g. investing essential infrastructure and services for everyone, especially marginalized groups; fostering active resident participation in decision-making and knowledge-sharing; and leveraging digital innovation to support these efforts. Cities can assess their SIT progress, using UN-SDGs data and indicators from the Global Urban Monitoring Framework of UN-Habitat. The SIT Monitoring enables cities to identify best practices and critical actions tailored to their unique needs. For example, a city in Africa might need to maintain existing systems that protect vulnerable groups’ rights while investing in digital infrastructure to enhance local decision-making. Conversely, another city in Asia, may focus on improving its legal system for marginalized communities, using digital platforms for legal advice. With the SIT, we may achieve the SDGs sooner, creating cities “by” “for” and “of” all.