The “Smart City” agenda, URBACT and ASToN

We started ASToN asking ourselves if cities working on digital transformations can advance faster together as a network, to respond to their most pressing challenges in a more sustainable way. At the heart of this network is the belief that there is an opportunity for cities across Africa to collaborate on becoming ‘smart cities’ – to harness digital, data and technology, and use participatory approaches in order to improve their policies, services and make life better for their citizens.

In order to get there, this flagship initiative has built on the URBACT method, knowledge and tools. URBACT is a European cooperation programme for cities. For 20 years, URBACT has worked with more than 1000 cities in Europe, to build cooperation networks between them. Through URBACT, cities have developed tailor-made solutions to solve their local problems. In 2018, AFD and URBACT launched a call to African local authorities to create a network of partners in the transition to digital – ASToN. ASToN stands for the African Smart Towns Network.

• We knew the URBACT method has proved effective in Europe for supporting transformations in over 650 cities. We wanted to see whether a similar method could be impactful in other geographical and cultural contexts.

• Boosting the (digital) capacities of local public stakeholders by offering them methods and experience feedback is at the heart of the AFD’s smart city strategy.