International Training Workshop on Smart Cities in Asia and the Pacific (18-19 October 2026 Fukuoka, Japan)

About the Workshop

EVENT NAME:

The Fourth International Training Workshop on Smart Cities in Asia and the Pacific
Theme: "Urban Resilience through Smart Solutions: Enhancing Disaster Preparedness and Sustainability in Asia-Pacific”

VENUE:

Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk, Fukuoka, Japan

ORGANIZER:

United Nations Centre for Regional Development of the Division for Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNCRD-DSDG/UN DESA)

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTNERS:

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), Government of Japan
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP)
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP)
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Investment and Technology Promotion Office, Tokyo

The United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) will organize the Fourth International Training Workshop on Smart Cities in Asia and the Pacific on 18 and 19 October 2026 in Fukuoka, Japan, in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Cities Summit (APCS) 2026. With the support of partner organizations, the workshop is expected to bring together approximately forty participants, resource persons, and representatives of relevant organizations, including sixteen representatives, including four governors and mayors from nine local/national governments and organizations such as Battambang, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Nusantara Capital Authority (NCA), Seberang Perai, Davao, Tarlac, Thailand's Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA), and Timor-Leste's Ministry of State Administration.

The workshop aims to strengthen the capacity of city leaders, policymakers, urban planners, and other urban practitioners to develop and implement integrated smart city solutions that enhance urban resilience, climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, sustainability, and inclusive urban development. Through knowledge-sharing, the exchange of good practices, and city-to-city cooperation, the workshop seeks to enhance practical knowledge, promote innovative approaches, and strengthen partnerships for building smarter, more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable cities across Asia and the Pacific.

The workshop will be held in conjunction with the 15th Asian-Pacific City Summit (APCS), scheduled from 19 to 21 October 2026 and organized by Fukuoka City Government and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP), with UNCRD as a co-organizer. Under the theme "Cooperation and Co-creation for Sustainable Cities," the Summit will bring together mayors and representatives from more than thirty cities to exchange views on addressing urban challenges through multi-stakeholder collaboration. During the Summit, UNCRD will organize the Bridge Session to Parallel Session I, "Accelerating Sustainable Urban Mobility in Asia-Pacific Cities: Local Actions, Global Commitments and Pathways to the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport.” Shigeo Murata, Head of UNCRD, will also moderate Parallel Session I, “Co-Creating Sustainable Urban Infrastructure through Public-Private Collaboration,” featuring cities and resource persons from the Smart Cities Workshop. This will help link the workshop's discussions and outcomes to the broader policy dialogue at the Summit.

For more information about the Summit, please visit the official website.

Documentation

CONCEPT NOTE AND PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME

• Draft Concept Note and Programme
• List of Participants

PRESENTATIONS AND SPEECHES

Session 1: Smart City Implementation – The Role of Policymakers and Planners

Session 2: Resilient Urban Infrastructure and Services – Building Resilience Cities for All

Session 3: Building Age-Friendly, Safe, Healthy, and Resilient Cities

Session 4: Financing, Collaborating, and Partnership for Smart, Resilient & Inclusive Cities

Session 5: Applying Smart Solutions to Strengthen Urban Resilience: From Infrastructure Failure Analysis to Resilient Transformation