Digital Development Goals for Cities

UN U4SSC Working Group 6, Cluster 4:
Digital Technology Itself

This page is hosted by AZ Collab as part of our stewardship of Cluster 4. The UN/ITU infrastructure does not currently support external survey collection, so we are managing this process on behalf of the working group to make participation as simple as possible for city leaders.

What are the DDGs?

The Digital Development Goals are a global framework being developed under the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) initiative. They aim to help city and regional leaders make better decisions about digital infrastructure, AI, data governance, and public value. The DDGs are not technical standards or reporting tools. They are high-level, actionable goals designed to guide real-world decision-making.

What is Cluster 4? (Official Scope)

Cluster 4 addresses the Digital Development Goals of Digital Technology Itself. It focuses on the characteristics, governance, sustainability, resilience, and long-term implications of the technologies that increasingly underpin urban systems. The cluster is concerned with the conditions under which digital technologies can be considered sustainable, trustworthy, resilient, governable, and aligned with long-term public value. Its scope includes digital infrastructure, AI and emerging technologies, technology governance and stewardship, trust and accountability, digital resilience and cybersecurity, sustainability of digital systems, data governance, and long-term technological futures. The cluster delivers 5 to 10 outcome-oriented Digital Development Goals following a standard template, plus a synthesis note identifying trade-offs, tensions, and areas requiring guidance from the Core Group. The work runs through end of 2026, with a soft target of November 2026 for a draft DDG framework.

Why your input matters

Cities are where digital transformation becomes reality. To ensure these goals are relevant and grounded in practice, we need to hear directly from the people managing digital systems, infrastructure, and governance at the city level. You are not being asked to review someone else's framework. You are being invited to help shape it.

What we're asking

Complete a survey (15 to 20 minutes) about your city's digital infrastructure, governance capacity, AI readiness, cybersecurity resilience, and priorities. Your responses will directly inform the goals we propose - more context below.

‍ ‍[Take the Survey]

Who is behind this work

This survey is managed by the stewards of Cluster 4 within UN U4SSC Working Group 6:

Salma Siddiqi (London, UK)
Bamidele Adebisi (Manchester, UK)
Melissa Armas (Phoenix, AZ, USA)

The Working Group is co-chaired by Bas Boorsma and Teppo Rantanen. The Global Community of Urban Leadership is led by Professor Stephen Goldsmith (Harvard), former Mayor of Indianapolis, former Deputy Mayor of New York City.

Join the Global Community of Urban Leadership

The UN Working Group on Digital Development Goals for Cities is building a Global Community of Urban Leadership to ensure these goals are shaped by the people who actually implement digital transformation at the city level.

This is not a review process at the end. Cities are invited as co-creators from the start, helping shape what works, what doesn't, and what's needed.

The community is open to Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Chief Digital Officers, urban innovation leaders, and regional leadership. Participation is flexible and defined by quality of insight, not volume of time.

By participating, you can:

Help shape a global framework for urban digital transformation
Ensure your city's realities and constraints are reflected
Contribute to practical, decision-oriented goals
Position your city as a leader and reference point
Engage in a peer network of urban leaders

Cities may also choose to act as living labs for pilots and case studies, host DDG-related events, or support experimentation and innovation environments.

The Global Community of Urban Leadership is led by Professor Stephen Goldsmith (Harvard Kennedy School), former Mayor of Indianapolis and former Deputy Mayor of New York City. The Working Group is co-chaired by Bas Boorsma (Professor of Practice, Thunderbird School of Global Management / Urban Innovators Global) and Teppo Rantanen (Director, City of Tampere, Finland).

Take the City Survey

Your input starts here. This 15 to 20 minute survey helps us understand where your city stands on digital infrastructure, governance, AI readiness, cybersecurity resilience, and priorities.

[Take the Survey]

At the end of the survey, you can express interest in formally joining the Global Community of Urban Leadership.

[Download the official invitation letter (PDF)]

Signed by the Working Group co-chairs, Bas Boorsma and Teppo Rantanen.