Africa-Press – Cape verde. The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cape Verde stated this Friday that smart cities should be people-centered, with technology and innovation serving to reduce inequalities and promote collective well-being.
Patrícia Portela de Souza made these statements to Inforpress on the sidelines of the commemorative lecture for World Cities Day, promoted by the Ministry of Infrastructure, Spatial Planning and Housing, in partnership with UN-Habitat, under the theme “Smart Cities Centered on People”.
According to the coordinator, every city should be a smart place, where people feel good and have opportunities that enhance human development.
However, she warned that around 3 billion people worldwide live in inadequate housing and 1.1 billion in informal settlements, a situation she described as “precarious and urgent to reverse”.
The United Nations official stressed that technological advances and global financial resources should benefit all people.
“Smart cities cannot leave the most vulnerable populations invisible. Innovation and access to the internet and artificial intelligence must serve the people,” she stated.
For Patrícia Portela, digital transformation must be inclusive, aimed at reducing inequalities and not widening them.
The coordinator also highlighted the importance of public spaces as places for coexistence, encounter, and social integration.
“Cities must promote spaces for children, young people, and women, fostering social cohesion and preventing urban isolation,” she emphasized.
Regarding Cape Verde, Patrícia Portela de Souza acknowledged national efforts in building resilient infrastructure, but stressed the need to continue investing in inclusive housing policies.
“We are supporting the ministry in identifying families that need adequate housing and in improving the conditions of those who already have housing but live in precarious situations,” she stated.
She added that this policy should also encompass young students who move from their home islands to study.
The inaugural lecture took place at the Achada Santo António Technical School in Praia, and brought together students from the civil construction field, whom the UN representative challenged to think about innovative and sustainable building solutions using local materials.
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