What will the future of cities look like? How has Cambodia preserved a crucial adaptation to building a smart, innovative, sustainable, inclusive, livable, efficient, and human-centered future of cities? How will policymakers ensure that new “smart city” technologies are implemented in a safe, efficient and ethical manner? This new edition of Digital Insights will gather answers to these posted questions and many more.

Brought together by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) in Cambodia, at its center, the publication serves as a refreshing collection of thoughts and inputs from authors, academics, and practitioners in the field over many relevant topic areas. The authors discuss general trends and regional case studies, how resources can be allocated more efficiently, how buildings could be developed more sustainably, how disruptive technology can improve public transport networks, and how data from urban citizens should be collected, used, and managed properly. In addition, core elements of urban livelihood development are also highlighted regarding smart education, smart healthcare and wellbeing, digital banking and payments, including via the cross-sectoral applications of blockchain technology. 

We hope that this publication contributes toward the development of equitable, safe, and improved urban environments in Cambodia. Practical recommendations of many cases are suggested by the authors to ensure that Cambodia’s cities realize their future growth potential, while risks, challenges, and solutions regarding disruptive urban trends and technologies are pointed out to be considered by policymakers. Hence, the cities of tomorrow have to be built based on today’s agendas through smart and innovative approaches. 

We sincerely thank our contributors, editors, authors, and production team members for their relentless effort in making this publication feasible.

Enjoy reading, and let’s shape the future of our cities successfully together!