The British Standards Institute (BSI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) have just issued a new joint standard on ‘Guidance on establishing smart city operating models for sustainable communities’, for ‘for city leaders, policy makers, local government senior executives, officers and directors, as well as community innovators’.
ISO writes:
This document gives guidance for leaders in smart cities and communities (from the public, private and voluntary sectors) on how to develop an open, collaborative, citizen-centric and digitally-enabled operating model for their city that puts its vision for a sustainable future into operation.
This document does not describe a one-size-fits-all model for the future of cities. Rather, the focus is on the enabling processes by which innovative use of technology and data, coupled with organizational change, can help each city deliver its own specific vision for a sustainable future in more efficient, effective and agile ways.
This document provides proven tools that cities can deploy when operationalizing the vision, strategy and policy agenda they have developed following the adoption of ISO 37101, the management system for sustainable development of communities. It can also be used, either in whole or in part, by cities that have not committed to deployment of the ISO 37101 management system.
BSI writes:
BSI, the business standards company, has published a new international standard for city leaders to meet the challenges of urbanization and grow sustainably.
BS ISO 37106:2018 Sustainable cities and communities – Guidance on establishing smart city operating models for sustainable communities was created following a five-year process of research and engagement with city leaders. It defines a smart operating model for cities, which enables them to operationalize their vision, strategy and policies at a faster pace.
At the heart of this standard is the idea that cities are looking to transform the way they operate. This means moving from an inefficient, disjointed, producer-focused model to a ‘smart’ model: citizen-centric, digital, agile, open and collaborative. BS ISO 37106 provides detailed, proven guidance on how to deliver these changes in practice, focussing on four main areas:
- Delivery principles: for city leaders to use to steer decision-making
- Key cross-city delivery processes: practical guidance to help different divisions within a city work together better
- Benefit realization: clearly linking smart city investments with the social, economic and environmental outcomes the city aims to achieve
- Risk management: a checklist of issues which a city should regularly monitor
The standard does not prescribe a one-size-fits-all model; rather, local government is encouraged to apply this framework for collaboration in a way that is flexible to meet local needs, e.g. tackling air pollution or improving social care provision. Through innovative use of technology and data – coupled with organizational change – each city can help deliver its own tailored version of smart and sustainable growth.
David Fatscher, Head of Sustainability at BSI, said: ‘BS ISO 37106 provides a common framework for how city leaders across the globe – whether in London, Leicester, Lahore, Lagos, or Los Angeles – can develop, agree and deliver smart city strategies that can transform the lives of the people who live and work there.
‘Sustainable growth is about more than saving the planet for future generations. Through collaboration across different areas and by embracing new technology, city leaders can deal with the challenges of the future in a cost-effective and environmentally responsible way. The UK has led thinking on smart city standards, with this international standard evolving from the widely adopted guidance document, PAS 181.’
As well as the public sector, the standard will also be of interest to decision-makers in the private and voluntary sectors who may work closely with local government.
More information on BS ISO 37106:2018 can be found here:
https://shop.bsigroup.com/ProductDetail/?pid=000000000030348126
