To ensure that digital city initiatives are fair and inclusive, local and regional governments have a crucial role in shaping how technology is used. By creating clear legal frameworks and strategic plans, and by engaging citizens through participation and co-creation processes, governments can steer innovation to serve public needs and deliver meaningful results for communities.
How cities are using digital tools to deliver better services?
This article explores how local governments around the world are using digital initiatives to improve public services and increase participation in city management.
Cities are increasingly using digital tools in the way they plan, manage and use data to take decisions, interact directly with citizens, understand how public services are used and where resources are most needed.
UNDP SDG Local Action has documented and analysed initiatives led by local governments that utilize digital tools to improve public service delivery and to engage citizens more effectively.
Digital initiatives are not defined by technology alone, but by how local governments apply and utilise it.
Across different contexts, digital city strategies are enabling local governments to experiment, learn, and adapt, supporting more responsive governance, stronger coordination, and more inclusive progress towards Agenda 2030.
Although each initiative is shaped by its local context and cannot be exactly replicated in other place, they collectively showcase how digital and innovative tools can significantly improve local public service delivery.
In Latin America and the Caribbean
Cities are demonstrating how digital tools can create better livelihoods.
Why are digital city initiatives relevant?
When designed and implemented with a people-centered approach, digital city projects can effectively leverage digital tools to enhance daily urban life, contributing to healthier, safer, and more inclusive cities that meet community needs, as evidenced by Buenos Aires and Belize City.
In Africa
Local governments demonstrate that digital city initiatives can enhance planning and foster community dialogue.
Digital city initiatives support urban planning and enhance community involvement
Digital city initiatives play a crucial role in innovative urban development by enhancing city planning and boosting community engagement. They leverage technology to develop more efficient, sustainable, and inclusive urban environments, encouraging resident participation and enabling local governments to better comprehend community needs and priorities.
In Europe
City experiences illustrate that a strong data and digital infrastructure is essential for the development of digital cities.
Data infrastructure is fundamental
Many digital city initiatives rely on robust data and digital infrastructure, allowing data-driven decisions to become a normal part of daily urban operations. Establishing a reliable, well-organized data infrastructure is usually the first crucial step to enable the development of scalable, efficient, and responsive digital city initiatives.
In North America
Local and regional governments have focused on equitable digital transformation.
Putting people at the centre of technologies
In Asia and Pacific region
Digital city initiatives illustrate the critical role of local and regional governments in fostering innovation.
How to foster a culture of innovation?
Local governments play a key role in fostering a culture of innovation that drives digital city development. By creating safe spaces for experimentation, promoting cross-sector collaboration, and supporting learning and iteration, cities can test new ideas while managing risks. This approach allows innovation to become part of everyday governance, helping initiatives adapt to local needs and long-term urban priorities.
What comes next?
Local and regional governments now find themselves at a crucial juncture, where the pursuit of sustainable development intersects with rapidly evolving technologies. While this moment offers great opportunities to enhance urban services, governance, and quality of life, it also introduces risks such as digital inequality, technology-driven development that neglects people’s needs, and issues related to data protection and privacy. Therefore, ensuring that digital city development remains sustainable, inclusive, and people-centered has become a vital question for cities moving forward.
UNDP SDG Local Action encourages local and regional governments to work together to explore how digital city initiatives can be used responsibly, making sure that innovation remains inclusive, ethical, and aligned with sustainable development goals.