This issue takes stock of ASEAN initiatives to turn cities—home to half of the region’s populace—into habitable, sustainable, and resilient urban environments.

In an interview, ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi highlights that transforming cities into smart ones, i.e. datadriven and technologically-enabled, represents a vital step towards improving people’s quality of life in cities and addressing a multitude of urban problems, including disasters and pandemics. ASEAN Connectivity Division’s Lim Chze Cheen and Benazir Syahril provide an overview of the regional frameworks and strategies developed to guide Member States in carrying out smart and sustainable urbanisation.