ITU official: New technologies support evidence-based planning

New technologies support evidence-based planning and help local governments allocate resources more efficiently.

Report informs that Seizo Onoe, director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), said this at an event titled "Artificial Intelligence for Cities – Urban Planning and Building Smart, Sustainable Communities," held as part of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.

He noted that the role of new technologies is growing as around 70% of the world's population is expected to live in cities by 2050:

"Digital twins help us simulate decisions before taking action. Public services become more inclusive and better adapted to our needs. Early warning systems gain new forecasting power and help save countless lives."

According to the director, in these and many other areas, artificial intelligence has become a powerful tool for ensuring smart and more resilient urban development:

"However, success with artificial intelligence depends as much on basic governance as on innovation. We need reliable standards, sound data governance and interoperable systems. Standards create a common language for innovation. They allow technologies to work together, while also supporting communication between companies, business partners and governments. This is more important now than ever."