“The 19th century was a century of empires, the 20th century was a century of nation states and the 21st century will be a century of cities” – Wellington Webb, Former Mayor of Denver, CO. The 21st century model of urban development will leverage information and communication technologies (ICTs) to set cities on a development trajectory characterised by environmental sustainability, resilience, and equitable social and economic growth, according to a new initiative led by two United Nations bodies. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe http://www.unece.org/ (UNECE) have launched a global initiative to advocate for public policy to use ICT in transitioning to smart sustainable cities – The United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) initiative. “ICTs have become central to innovation in almost every sphere of social and economic activity, making collaboration essential in maximising the contribution of ICTs to sustainable development”, said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. The mission […]