February 16, 2021
Danial Norjidi
Smart cities have played a notable role in pandemic response, particularly by deploying digital technological solutions and innovative bottom-up approaches, acting as effective implementation channels of nationwide economic relief packages and in fortifying an urban low-carbon agenda through steep digital technology adoption.
Senior Economist at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) Venkatachalam Anbumozhi highlighted this in a recent statement.
According to the senior economist, cities are centres of economic growth and innovation, and where problems and solutions meet.
They are home to most of the world population and the high concentration of people and economic activities make them most vulnerable to various disasters, epidemics and pandemics, he shared.