Our six smart cities: overview, main lessons, and outcomes The United Nations’ seventeen Sustainable Development policies that aim to bring about greener, more inclusive Goals (SDGs) identify challenges that need to be addressed economies, and stronger, more resilient societies. if we are to achieve a better and more sustainable future for everyone across the world. Among these challenges These are the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals that are poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental aim to transform our world: degradation, peace, and justice. The UN also promotes GOAL 1: No Poverty GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality GOAL 2: Zero Hunger GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-Being GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production GOAL 4: Quality Education GOAL 13: Climate Action GOAL 5: Gender Equality GOAL 14: Life Below Water GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation GOAL 15: Life on Land GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy GOAL 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth GOAL 17: Partnerships for the Goals GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Source: https://sdgs.un.org/fr/goals Many different organizations are currently running or trying the world face. In this ebook, our first chapter identifies the to establish their own indexes, rankings, awards, and key challenges and huge difficulties inherent in conceiving measurements of cities. These organizations come from the city of the future, which will face an extreme emergency: a wide range of fields, including academia, the consulting climate change. What shape will the urban way of life take in sector, services providers, and media and press outlets. the twenty-first century? What will a smart and sustainable However, none of the work that these organizations do in this city look like? area can ignore the UN’s seventeen priorities for the planet, because the UN enjoys a unique level of universal recognition Local authorities face growing complexity when it comes and has received very strong support for its SDGs, which to managing cities. Concerns about environmental seem to have triggered a tipping point. sustainability lie at the heart of the smart city, and this is reflected in the fact that many smart city initiatives address Among the seventeen goals, the eleventh squarely addresses air quality, clean energy, or transport solutions. cities and metropolitan areas: “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”(SDG The smart city provides a lens through which to look at the #11). To precisely define what a smart and sustainable city city as a system. Analysts and researchers who focus on might be, the UN has combined different key elements. smart cities are now promoting cross sector collaboration However, we would argue that the UN has overlooked two and partnership among stakeholders; they see the smart important dimensions: technology as a tool, and innovation city as a space within which collective strategies for social as a means to meet the big challenges that all cities across innovation can be developed. The smart city’s stakeholders 9 Quélin and Smadja | HEC PARIS | SMART CITIES | The sustainable program of six leading cities | 2021