The ASEAN Smart City Financing Toolkit was launched during a workshop held on 26-27 November 2024 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The event brought together national and city-level officials from across ASEAN Member States (AMS), and Timor-Leste, to discuss smart city trends and the use of innovative financing instruments for smart city development. ASEAN Dialogue Partners and Other External Partners also joined the Launch event on 26 November 2024.

The Toolkit features a financial instrument recommendation and selection tool, a case study library, a discussion board, and artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot to help city officials deepen their understanding of financing instruments, assess implementation gaps, identify capacity-building needs, and collaborate with like-minded individuals on financing-related questions. Over the last two days in Jakarta, AMS officials engaged in hands-on demonstrations of the Toolkit and discussed outreach and training plans for their respective countries.

Equipped with fresh insights and practical tools, participants gained knowledge to explore innovative financing mechanisms and models for their smart city projects and empower key stakeholders back home to drive impactful urban transformation. This marks a pivotal step towards sustainable, inclusive urban development across ASEAN shaping a more sustainable and equitable future for the people!

This initiative, supported by the Australian Government through the Australia for ASEAN Futures (Aus4ASEAN Futures) Initiative, represents a significant step toward sustainable and inclusive urban development in the region.

Learn more about the Toolkit: https://smartcitytoolkit.asean.org/