By Minerva Novero-Belec and Calum Handforth

Cities are overrated. Too many people, tight, expensive, impersonal, noisy and polluted. Hotbeds of infectious diseases, too, and crime.  [NPR and The Economist]

Often, especially in turbulent times, discussions around cities turn sharply negative --- depicting them as areas to escape from, rather than centres of opportunity to rush toward.

Earlier in 2020, the emptying of big cities like New York signaled to many the death of the city. Indeed, some markers remain cause for concern: over 90 percent of COVID-19 cases were in urban spaces, particularly large cities; job losses were concentrated in metro areas (seriously affecting the informal sector on which many of the urban poor rely); and losses of revenue, and sharp rises in health and other costs, are putting many cities in the red.

Many did leave cities since the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the urban exodus may have perhaps been a temporary strategy than an irreversible trend. Some projections still point to cities as homes for most of humanity (urban dwellers are still expected to reach 70 per cent by 2050). The accelerated digitalisation of societies and economies during the pandemic also point to greater investments in smart city approaches and technologies, and to prospects of cities transformed for the better, redefined ‘normal’.

Hope in cities

Despite the grim landscape across many cities currently, cities remain a positive factor across dimensions -- they allow a better quality of life and can enable increases in lifespan. Cities can also be a positive factor for economic development, societal advances, and driving innovation – including during communicable disease outbreaks, such as COVID-19.

As the UN Secretary-General highlighted in his Brief “COVID-19 in an Urban World,” cities are bearing the brunt of the pandemic but, from the solidarity and resilience they display, they are the frontlines in the “great reset” – the opportunity to transition to a sustainable, resilient and inclusive world.

On World Cities Day, the UN Secretary-General invites global refection on “valuing communities and cities“ to build better lives. The theme reminds us of the urgency behind SDG 11, and the need to also focus on the other Sustainable Development Goals and targets that shape the cities we build. Cities play a key role in achieving all of the SDGs – including the targets around poverty, inequality, food security and health.

UNDP efforts around the world have shown what is possible. Through increased and more equitably accessible socio-economic opportunities, cities can drive prosperity and reduce poverty. By pursuing circular economies, cities can steer responsible consumption and production. Through urban agriculture and better management of food waste, cities can contribute to ending hunger. Through effective waste management, cities can help address pollution and prevent the spread of disease.

The digital urban future

We have also seen that cities with strong digital foundations and capacities have responded better to COVID-19 than some of their counterparts. In our work at the UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation, and Sustainable Development; and across efforts in response to COVID-19, we have similarly seen how approaches that leverage innovation and digital technologies can support socio-economic goals and help advance inclusion and social cohesion.

We have also recognised the importance of digitalisation in building and driving local innovation ecosystems. This includes the development of open-source and other technology communities, but also the increasing relevance of the digital economy. From ecommerce in Lagos, to fintech in Nairobi, Artificial Intelligence in Jakarta - and everywhere in between.

In the same way that cities, historically, have delivered real benefits to lives and livelihoods - cities with strong digital foundations can augment, amplify, and add to these benefits. For thousands of years, cities have been hubs of innovation, human ingenuity, and connection. We need to preserve this role, build on these foundations, and use digital tools to catalyse the impact of cities and their citizens.

As we've seen this year, and in the face of other difficulties in recent times, the defining factor and commonality in our response to challenge is human talent and ingenuity. And cities are the drivers and engines of this potential.

Community in smart cities of the future

In the face of a challenge that has confined many of us to our homes - and had a significant impact on our lives and livelihoods - we need to explore what the future of cities looks like. In a time of remote working, remote learning, and remote living, how do we foster and nurture community and connectedness?

Digital technologies have certainly been instrumental in keeping economies and societies connected and functioning during the pandemic, and greater investments are flowing into smart city efforts to build any post-Covid city of the future. Some 46 percent of humanity however remains unconnected, and they face risks of exclusion and falling further behind unless digital efforts are designed specifically to reach and benefit them.

Similarly, digital efforts need to be founded on the needs and realities of citizens – and cities. Smart technologies are justifiably viewed as “game changers”, with their impact also seen in how communities engage with each other and with their governments. They offer potential to transform community life and the public sphere, but must be applied thoughtfully and inclusively.

The UN Secretary General noted that “when urban communities are engaged in policy and decision making… the results are more inclusive and durable”. This calls for putting “communities at the heart of the cities of the future." 

The “great reset” is an opportunity to build truly smart cities, cities that pursue digital and innovation strategies anchored in the priorities of communities, and leverage smart technologies – and human capital - to build more equal, inclusive and sustainable cities.

Minerva Novero-Belec is a Policy Specialist, Governance, Cities and Digital Transformation, while Calum Handforth is an Advisor, Digitalisation and Smart Cities