Overview
SIST ISO 37122:2023 - Sustainable cities and communities - Indicators for smart cities - specifies definitions and methodologies for a standardized set of smart city indicators. Adopted by SIST as identical to ISO 37122:2019, this standard is intended to be used together with ISO 37120 to provide a complete, comparable framework for measuring progress toward smart, sustainable cities and communities. The standard focuses on actionable metrics, data sources and interpretation rules to support consistent urban monitoring and benchmarking.
Key topics and technical requirements
The document defines indicator structure and methodologies across multiple urban domains. Key technical topics include:
- Indicator definitions and requirements - standardized definitions, calculation rules and reporting units to ensure comparability.
- Data sources and interpretation - recommended data inputs, provenance and guidance for interpreting results.
- Domain-specific indicators (examples drawn from the standard):
- Economy: open data clauses in service contracts, business survival rates, ICT and R&D employment shares.
- Education: multilingual proficiency, digital learning device availability, STEM graduates per capita.
- Energy: energy from wastewater/solid waste, decentralised electricity share, grid storage capacity, smart meters, street lighting management and refurbishment, EV charging station ratios.
- Environment & climate change: green building compliance, density of real-time air quality monitoring stations.
- Emphasis on measurable, verifiable metrics and alignment with ISO 37120 to form a comprehensive indicator set for smart city assessment.
Practical applications and users
SIST ISO 37122:2023 is designed for practical use in:
- Local governments and city planners for performance monitoring, benchmarking and public reporting.
- Sustainability officers and urban data teams for designing KPI dashboards and data collection systems.
- Procurement and contract managers to specify open data and performance requirements in service agreements.
- Utilities and infrastructure operators for energy planning (microgeneration, EV infrastructure, smart meters, lighting).
- Consultants, researchers and policymakers seeking standardized smart city metrics for comparative studies and strategy development.
Practical uses include benchmarking city performance, prioritizing investments, tracking progress on digital inclusion and climate resilience, and enabling transparent, comparable reporting across municipalities.
Related standards
- ISO 37120 - City indicators for services and quality of life (used in conjunction with ISO 37122 to provide a comprehensive indicator framework).
Keywords: SIST ISO 37122:2023, indicators for smart cities, smart city indicators, sustainable cities and communities, city indicators, urban data, smart city metrics.
