Building Responsible Smart Cities: A Toolkit for Public and Private Sector Actors

Smart cities promise innovation, efficiency, and improved quality of life, but without the right safeguards, they can deepen inequality, erode trust, and infringe on human rights.

As smart city agendas accelerate across Asia, there is growing demand for concrete, actionable guidance to ensure that technological progress does not come at the expense of people’s rights. The success of smart cities depends not only on sensors and systems, but on inclusive processes, transparent governance, and the active participation of communities, particularly those most at risk of exclusion.

Developed by UNDP in partnership with the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB), this Toolkit was created to help governments and private sector actors make smart cities not just smarter – but more inclusive, accountable, and people-centred.

It is accompanied by a detailed technical report featuring case studies and lessons learned from cities across Asia and beyond, the toolkit presents a practical and adaptable framework built around core foundations and leverage points that enable governments and companies to anticipate and address risks throughout the smart city project lifecycle, while maximising the benefits of smart city investments.

Read and download the toolkit

This toolkit was developed by UNDP in partnership with the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB).

Harpreet Kaur, Kevin Lehmann, Ammar Malik, Salil Tripathi, Annabel Short, and Alejandra Rivera contributed to the conceptual development, research, and writing of the Toolkit.