As Europe advances towards an increasingly digital society, city leaders emphasise the need for a human-centred approach to digital transformation that prioritises inclusivity, sustainability, and the well-being of all citizens.
Europe’s cities are at the forefront of this transition, focusing on innovative digital solutions to tackle critical challenges such as climate change, social inequality and economic recovery. Yet, despite these advancements, the digital divide continues to pose a significant obstacle for some, leaving many communities and individuals without access to essential technologies and services.
City leaders are urging the new European Commission, in its first 100 days (#100DaysEU), to prioritise a human-centred approach to digital transformation. Without a people-based approach, it will be impossible for initiatives such as the European Democracy Shield or the Digital Decade to become success stories.
“Digitalisation plays a prominent role in the European agenda, but it has primarily focused on its economic aspects,” says André Sobczak, Secretary General of Eurocities. “However, the ecological and social dimensions of digital transformation must also be at the forefront of the EU’s strategic priorities.”
Recognising cities as digital leaders
As Europe navigates its digital transformation, cities must be recognised as essential partners in shaping policies and investments. Their proximity to citizens and ability to implement innovative solutions make them indispensable players in creating a human-centred digital future.
“City governments are uniquely positioned to address digital inclusion at its most critical point – the local level,” says Faouzi Achbar, Vice-Mayor of Rotterdam, and Eurocities’ Shadow Commissioner for Digital Inclusion.
The digital divide: A challenge for Europe’s cities
Although digital technologies offer tremendous opportunities, they also highlight growing inequalities. For many urban dwellers, access to reliable internet, digital skills training, and affordable technologies remains limited, especially for vulnerable populations.
The latest Eurocities Pulse Mayors survey revealed that almost 25% of cities lack enough tools and capacity to promote digital transformation with a focus on digital inclusion. This gap underscores the urgent need for targeted investments and collaborative policies to bridge the digital divide.
In response, city leaders are calling on the EU to adopt a people-centred approach to digitalisation, ensuring that its policies and investments focus on inclusivity and accessibility. They urge the EU to support local efforts to provide digital literacy programmes and accessible technologies for all citizens. At the same time, cities such as Rotterdam, Ghent and Bordeaux Metropole are also tackling the deeper, more complex aspects of the digital divide.
Protecting digital rights
Initiatives like as the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights already support digital rights in the urban context through city action, resolving common digital challenges at the local level and working towards legal, ethical and operational frameworks to advance human rights in digital environments.
As one of their 10 priorities for a better Europe, mayors call for an EU Digital Rights Governance Framework that ensures the preservation of fundamental human rights in the digital sphere.
This framework should not only restate rights such as privacy and access to information but must also propose concrete steps to implement and safeguard these rights within cities.
At the local level, cities are introducing Digital Rights programmes to navigate the challenges of digitalisation while safeguarding people’s rights. Such is the case for the City of Brussels, which has introduced a Digital Rights Charter encompassing commitments and actions addressing digital inclusion, accessibility, education, ethics and privacy.
Leipzig’s Digital Agenda aims to empower citizens to participate in the digital world, improving access and engagement. Their goal is to expand and enhance digital involvement in local democracy, ranging from submitting petitions to participating in city council meetings live online.
Empowering urban planners with digital tools
Cities are already demonstrating how digital innovation can drive better decision-making and urban development. The adoption of local digital twins, for example, is empowering urban planners with advanced tools to simulate and analyse various scenarios, enabling more informed decisions on mobility, housing or sustainability.
Despite the benefits, many cities face challenges in adopting these technologies, such as high costs, technical barriers and a lack of standardisation. City leaders are urging the EU to provide funding and technical support to help scale up the implementation of local digital twins and other innovative tools across Europe.
In this sense, the upcoming Networked Local Digital Twins towards the CitiVERSE EDIC, a legal framework to support and implement multi-country projects, aims to connect existing local digital twins across Europe, forming the basis for the EU CitiVERSE.
It will allow members to use digital infrastructure regardless of where in the EU it was created. This approach will help make sure that data and services can work together smoothly and follow common rules, which helps to prevent Europe from being digitally fragmented.
Driving digital democracy
In addition to fostering innovation, cities are championing digital democracy as a cornerstone of a human-centred digital future. By leveraging online platforms and participatory tools, cities are empowering citizens to engage in policymaking and community initiatives, strengthening trust and transparency in governance.
For example, Barcelona’s Decidim platform has enabled thousands of residents to co-create urban policies, from climate action plans to budget allocations. “Democratic innovation in digital policies is one of the major challenges of the coming decades,” says Arnau Monterde, Director of Participation and Democratic Innovation at Barcelona City Council.
Similarly, Vienna’s digital participation tools have made it easier for citizens to contribute to local decision-making processes, fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration.
Collaborating for a human-centred digital future
To achieve a digital future that benefits everyone, collaboration between cities, national governments and the EU is essential. This includes aligning digital policies with local needs, enhancing multilevel governance, and ensuring that investments in digital infrastructure and services are equitable and sustainable.
Cities call for the EU to strengthen its support for cities in areas such as capacity building, data governance and citizen engagement. They also raise the need for a coordinated approach to digitalisation that respects Europe’s diversity while addressing common challenges.
“We need a collaborative effort at the European level, with cities, institutions and stakeholders working together to build a future where everyone has equal opportunities in the digital world,” says Delphine Jamet, Councillor of Bordeaux Metropole and Eurocities’ Shadow Commissioner for Digital Inclusion.
