Urban Playbook for Sustainability and Digital Change

This document is a research report exploring the transformation of cities in response to environmental, social, and technological shifts. It presents findings from a study conducted by ThoughtLab in mid-2022, which surveyed 200 cities regarding their future-ready plans to enhance sustainability, resilience, and digital innovation, particularly in light of challenges posed by the pandemic. The follow-up survey in Q2 2024 expanded the analysis to 250 cities globally, assessing how well they have implemented these plans across five urban domains: environment and sustainability, urban infrastructure, mobility and transportation, safety and security, and citizen health and trust. The report identifies both effective strategies and challenges faced by cities in operationalizing their goals. Additionally, it highlights the pressing urban challenges still encountered by cities, such as climate change and public health issues, while offering a comprehensive benchmarking of city performance on key metrics.