BEST EXAMPLE FOR SDG 11: TONDO MANILA

ARTICLE 1

If we want to reach the targets set out by the UN SDG 11, we need to work together to develop the tools
that will help cities become truly smart and sustainable.

U4SSC has facilitated the development of internationally recognized key performance indicators which
allow cities to set goals and measure progress on becoming smarter and more sustainable.

The creation of smart cities requires a trusted infrastructure capable of supporting an enormous volume
of ICT-based applications and services, which in turn requires coordinated adherence to common
standards that ensure openness and interoperability.

The transformation towards resilient and sustainable societies requires the redesign of our cities as well
as a radical shift in our patterns of production, consumption, and waste.

More than 50% of the world’s population lives in urban areas. By 2050, it will be nearly 70%. This raises
huge challenges for municipalities and city planners. Information and communication technologies (ICTs)
offer the solution to many of these challenges. At the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the
UN specialized agency for ICTs, we are working to develop the tremendous potential ICTs have to help
build smarter, more sustainable cities.

Indeed, many cities across the world are already utilizing Big Data analytics gathered from smart sensors
and connected devices to manage traffic, reduce energy usage – and improve a wide range of urban
operations and services.

If we want to reach the targets set out by the UN SDG 11, we need to work together to develop the tools
that will help cities become truly smart and sustainable.

To succeed, international organizations, national governments, municipalities and local partners from
civil society, academia and the private sector need to join forces.

Taking Action

Thankfully, there are encouraging signs of such collaboration.

ITU and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) launched ‘United for Smart Sustainable
Cities’ (U4SSC) in 2016. U4SSC is now supported by 16 UN bodies, and over 50 cities have now joined
ITU’s pilot project.

U4SSC has facilitated the development of internationally recognized key performance indicators (KPIs)
which allow cities to set goals and measure progress on becoming smarter and more sustainable. The
indicators, developed by international experts in ITU and UN bodies, fall under five overarching
categories: the use of ICTs; physical infrastructure; equity and social inclusion; quality of life; and
environmental sustainability.

Recently, many cities including Dubai, Singapore, Montevideo, Maldonado, Moscow, Valencia, Pully and
Rimini have asked ITU for assistance in the implementation of the U4SSC KPIs. In the past few months
ITU has published case studies on the efforts of Dubai and Singapore to apply smart city innovations,
providing a valuable reference point to other cities pursuing greater efficiency and sustainability.

The creation of smart cities requires a trusted infrastructure capable of supporting an enormous volume
of ICT-based applications and services, which in turn requires coordinated adherence to common
standards that ensure openness and interoperability. ITU develops international standards to enable the
coordinated development of Internet of Things technologies and their application in smart cities. They
also outlined how smart grids can help to build more controllable and efficient energy systems. Work on
standards for smart 5G systems, which will help improve the feasibility of smart processes in large urban
areas, is underway.

More Efficient Cities, By and For People

Standards can be powerful agents of change. Their application allows cities to reduce energy costs and
emissions through more efficient buildings, electricity grids, street lights, transportation systems, and
energy and water networks at a time when cities already account for 70% of greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions.

But smart, sustainable cities are about more than just reduced energy costs and emissions – they also
aim for the realization of a better quality of urban life for all. New intelligent solutions, underpinned by
smart sensors, can improve the safety and well-being of inhabitants.

Here are just a few examples. In Singapore, sensors and cameras build on an existing digital system to
enable the government to send signals to drivers to improve traffic flow. In Kolkata, a social enterprise is
using geographic information systems to map unplanned settlements, providing addresses and vital
services for the inhabitants. In Quito, a mobile platform for women to report sexual harassment on the
municipal public transport system is improving the way the city is policed. Digital technologies are also
used to enhance citizen engagement and participation.

A Radical Shift for Resilient and Sustainable Societies

The transformation towards resilient and sustainable societies requires the redesign of our cities as well
as a radical shift in our patterns of production, consumption, and waste.

Digital technologies give us an opportunity to develop more intelligent and inclusive urban systems
where waste, costs, and ecological impacts are minimized, and where urban operations and processes,
increasingly cognizant of the multiple stakeholders involved, can enhance quality of life for all. These
technologies give us an opportunity to drive success not just on SDG 11, but on several other SDGs,
demonstrating the significant impact that ICTs can have on the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.

But the transition towards smart, sustainable cities requires collective intention and increased
collaboration between citizens, businesses, and governments. Together, we can design more efficient,
ecological and people-centered cities, which drive, rather than hinder, individual well-being and
sustainable development.

REERENCE 1: https://sdg.iisd.org/commentary/guest-articles/sdg-11-building-the-worlds-smart-
sustainable-cities-together/
ARTICLE 2

More than half of the world’s population now live in urban areas. By 2050, that figure will have risen to
6.5 billion people – two-thirds of all humanity. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without
significantly transforming the way we build and manage our urban spaces.

The rapid growth of cities in the developing world, coupled with increasing rural to urban migration, has
led to a boom in mega-cities. In 1990, there were ten mega-cities with 10 million inhabitants or more. In
2014, there were 28 mega-cities, home to a total 453 million people.

Extreme poverty is often concentrated in urban spaces, and national and city governments struggle to
accommodate the rising population in these areas. Making cities safe and sustainable means ensuring
access to safe and affordable housing, and upgrading slum settlements. It also involves investment in
public transport, creating green public spaces, and improving urban planning and management in a way
that is both participatory and inclusive.

SDG 11 FACTS AND FIGURES

REFERENCE 2: https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-11-
sustainable-cities-and-communities.html

ARTICLE 3

These 17 Goals build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals, while including new areas
such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption, peace and justice,
among other priorities. The goals are interconnected – often the key to success on one will involve
tackling issues more commonly associated with another.

Today, more than half the world’s population lives in cities. By 2030, it is projected that 6 in 10 people
will be urban dwellers. Despite numerous planning challenges, cities offer more efficient economies of
scale on many levels, including the provision of goods, services and transportation. With sound, risk-
informed planning and management, cities can become incubators for innovation and growth and
drivers of sustainable development.

PROBLEM ASSOCIATED

REFERENCE 3: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2016/goal-11/

PDF for FURTHER READINGS: https://unhabitat.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/SDG-

Example development plan for SDG 11 of Singapore:

SDG 11 goals with measurement indicator: https://unhabitat.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/SDG-

Vid for presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MVY5fO-Pp4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfR-hq3kI-Q

Singapore as benchmark for SDG 11- https://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/what-about-

Government Organizations that will be involve:

SDG through ICT- https://www.itu.int/en/publications/Documents/tsb/2017-U4SSC-Implementing-

SDG 11 in connection to other SDG-

SDG 11 EMERGING ISSUES AND PROBLEMS - https://sdgasiapacific.net/download/AP_SDG_Outlook.pdf

PH Strategy for transport: https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/institutional-