The World Economic Forum has announced that 36 cities across 22 countries and six continents have agreed to pioneer a roadmap for safely adopting technology as part of the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance.

Cities are facing urgent challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic and other major disruptions, which are expected to culminate in a budget crisis that could reach $1tn in the USA alone. They need data and innovation to become more resilient, responsive and efficient. Yet there is no global framework for how cities should use these technologies, or the data they collect, in a way that protects the public interest.

This is set to change with the launch of a global policy roadmap by the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance, designed to give cities the procedures, laws and regulations they need to use new technology responsibly.

“This roadmap is not about theoretical ideas and pipe dreams, it is built on practical, real-world policies from leading cities around the globe,” said Jeff Merritt, head of the IoT and urban transformation at the World Economic Forum. “City governments are on the frontline of a global crisis and need to be able to act quickly and decisively to curtail this pandemic and set course for their economic recovery. Technology is an essential tool in this fight but governments cannot risk falling into the usual traps related to privacy, security and vendor lock-in. That’s where the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance can help.”

To kickstart adoption of the roadmap, the alliance has recruited 36 pioneer cities that will collaborate with global experts to enhance their city policies, in areas ranging from privacy protection and cyber security to better services for disabled people and better broadband coverage.

The cities in alphabetical order are: Apeldoorn, Netherlands; Barcelona, Spain; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Bengaluru, India; Bilbao, Spain; Bogotá, Colombia; Brasilia, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Chattanooga, USA; Cordoba, Argentina; Daegu, South Korea; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; eThekwini (Durban), South Africa; Faridabad, India; Gaziantep, Turkey; Hamamatsu, Japan; Hyderabad, India; Indore, India; Istanbul, Turkey; Kaga, Japan; Kakogawa, Japan; Kampala, Uganda; Karlsruhe, Germany; Leeds, UK; Lisbon, Portugal; London, UK; Maebashi, Japan; Manila, Philippines; Medellín, Colombia; Melbourne, Australia; Mexico City, Mexico; Milan, Italy; Moscow, Russia; Newcastle, Australia; San José, USA; and Toronto, Canada.

“This initiative originated in Japan last year from our Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a fact I’m very proud of,” said Koichi Akaishi, vice minister for science, technology and innovation for the cabinet office of the government of Japan. “I hope to see more cities participating in the alliance following the model set by these first pioneer cities.”

Stephen Blackburn, head of smart cities for Leeds, added: “Being a pioneer city in the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance is an excellent opportunity for us to promote the innovative work that is taking place in Leeds right now, but also facilitates the opening of doors where we can learn from other leading cities around the world and implement best practice in our city.”

And Roberta Cocco, deputy mayor in Milan, said: “Technology and knowledge are two strategic assets to build inclusive, data-driven and sustainable smart cities capable of tackling new and emerging challenges. That is why Milan is joining the G20 Global Smart City Alliance, as this initiative will allow us to share best practices with innovative cities around the world. Today more than ever, in fact, we need to collaborate with each other to identify the most effective tools to face global threats like Covid-19. It is only by joining our forces that we can beat this common enemy that is threatening the health, the economy and the future of our citizens.”

Julia Glidden, corporate vice president of Microsoft, said: “Accessibility and privacy policies are critical to making cities more inclusive and transparent. Microsoft congratulates the forum and G20 for creating model policies that aid cities in serving all citizens.”