ABSTRACT
The intent of this book is to provide examples of measurement systems and tools to enable communities to self-assess and benchmark their progress along a continuum of smart, intelligent, and sustainable development. It brings together a number of international authors to discuss existing evaluation mechanisms for the broader community, including those used in awards and government funding. It also adds to the existing body of evaluation mechanisms by highlighting the need to meet new requirements stemming from a volatile and changing digital and global economy. It does this by providing a number of best practices, ideas, and models of leading thinkers around innovative themes such as the compassionate cities movement and the circular economy approach. The book begins with an explanation of the key imperatives that necessitate the setting of goals, metrics for evaluation, and openness about progress. It aims to guide communities who wish to look at the bigger picture and want more engagement from all its stakeholders to meet sustainability goals, including some that are aligned with the United Nations sustainable development goals (UN SDGs). The book will be useful to citizen activists, private sector organizations, the non-profit sector, policymakers and, of course, cities that intend to work collaboratively to solve broader societal challenges and self-correct before being required to do so by their environment.
