Urbanization is expected to reach 70% globally by 2050
Urban population growth can increase a city’s vulnerability to shocks and stresses
Digital transformation is a key enabler of resilience
Digitization and Resilience for the Cities of Tomorrow
Today, digital payments are an essential element of urban resilience and future readiness, enabling cities to prosper, to withstand shocks and stresses, and to serve the needs of the entire population.
However, to ensure that these solutions power cities effectively, inclusive digital finance options must be accessible to all especially the vulnerable and marginalized population who frequently lack access to traditional banking and finance. Currently, city governments are working on strengthening digital economies to deliver more efficient and effective services while making them more accessible to all citizens, to unlock economic and social benefits and to become better prepared to adapt, survive and prosper when facing future shocks and stresses.
Access the Cities That Thrive: Public Financial Innovation as a Catalyst for Urban Resilience study for more insights on how cities can harness public financial innovation to navigate these challenges and thrive.
The Partnership
The Future Ready Cities program builds urban resilience through education and pilot digital finance solutions, created for cities and with cities. It aims to empower network cities and to demonstrate the power of these solutions for cities everywhere.
What is urban resilience?
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Why is digital transformation essential in building resilience?
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Why are Digital Payments a key element of digital transformation?
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How can city governments incorporate digitalization when building urban resilience?
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Why should cities make digitalization more inclusive?
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What is a Robust Data Foundation?
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What is the Future Ready Cities program?
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Explore Urban Challenges
Cities face a number of challenges in the shape of acute shocks and stresses. Shocks include disasters, disease outbreaks etc., while stresses can manifest in the form of economic vulnerabilities, social injustices and compromised management systems.
Digital transformation allows cities to prepare for such challenges, in the case of disasters (through early warning data enabled forecast systems) or improving citizen involvement (through digital platforms) among others while also unlocking important co-benefits for the development and growth of local populations and economies, helping to close the digital gap and other inequality scenarios.
Discover digital practical solutions for some of the most pressing urban challenges:
Increasing speed and efficiency of government payments
Increasing speed and efficiency of government payments
Reaching sustainable, effective and user-friendly urban mobility systems
Making good use of city data for better informed decision making
Reactivating local economies through SMEs
More Resources
Cities That Thrive: Public Financial Innovation as a Catalyst for Urban Resilience
Cities That Thrive: Public Financial Innovation as a Catalyst for Urban Resilience delves into how cities can harness public financial innovation to navigate the complex and interconnected challenges they are facing and thrive in the face of adversity. By integrating these technologies into their resilience strategies, city governments can achieve rapid, context-driven progress in critical areas. Our data shows that cities globally are beginning to realize the potential of public financial technologies. However, many are just scratching the surface. This report aims to bridge this gap, providing the knowledge and tools needed to fully harness these innovations.
Urban Exchange Podcast | Episode 17: Digitalizing government disbursements to enhance urban resilience featuring Visa and Washington D.C.
The conversation is set in the context of the new publication titled “Government Disbursements and Urban Resilience. A practitioner’s point of view”, developed by Resilient Cities Network and edited by Visa Global Government Solutions in the context of their common program “Future Ready Cities”. Agustin, one of the co-authors of the publication, takes us through how digitalization of government disbursements can make their reach to vulnerable families and communities more efficient, inclusive and resilient. Robert shares experiences from Washington D.C, and examples of how digital payouts has enhanced its existing grandparents’ caregivers’ programs through pre-paid cards to support kinship caregiving.
Government Disbursements and Urban Resilience: A Practitioner’s Point of View
Governments play a central role in supporting economically vulnerable residents and businesses through state-disbursed funds. Government disbursements like unemployment benefits and small business grants can help alleviate economic stress, create new opportunities, and increase social and economic inclusion. This publication aims to share advanced and practice-focused knowledge about government disbursement through a resilience lens for city officials, urban stakeholders and interested audiences worldwide.
Digital Payments for Urban Resilience: Key Learnings from Cities
The Future Ready Cities program aims to inspire cities around the world to harness the power of digital solutions to face their urban challenges.
From 2020-22, the program supported Guadalajara, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Salvador, Brazil, to implement digital payment solutions that improve public transportation experiences, support urban farmers, and improve digital and financial literacy for women. In 2023, Montevideo and Panama City embarked on their own journey to advance urban resilience through digital solutions.
Speaker Series 2023 #9 | Leveraging Payment Data: Public-private Collaboration to Build a More Resilient Urban Future
The ninth session of Cities on the Frontline Speaker Series, 2023, with the support of Visa, focused on how cities can utilize payment data through responsible public–private data collaboration to strengthen multiple city systems, solve multiple challenges and secure a more resilient future.
We were joined by Tulsi Parida, Global Director of Government Data Solutions, Visa; Silvina Di Giano, Tourism Research Manager, General Directorate of Market Intelligence and Observatory, Buenos Aires City Tourism Board; and Dr. Ahmad Giffari, Senior Urban Economic Development Planner, Bappeda DKI Jakarta experts who shared diverse lessons learned and experiences on the opportunities that aggregated payment data can bring to cities.
Cities on the Frontline Speaker Series 2023 #7 | Urban Mobility: Innovating Through Payments
Cities are facing growing challenges in the seventh session of Cities on the Frontline Speaker Series 2023 with the support of and in partnership with Visa,
we dove into how urban mobility is the backbone of a city, as it enables people to access vital spaces for work, education, and leisure. Open payments allow people to use any contactless credit or debit payment card to pay for transportation rides making it more efficient, safe and time effective improving rider experience and incentivizing financial and digital inclusion.