BCG worked with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to support the design and operationalization of a ground-breaking digital transformation program, called JICA DXLab, that has revitalized JICA frontline operations in emerging markets.
$22t
residential infrastructure investment by 2030
80%
global cities lack housing plans for most people
90%
urban population lives below WHO health standards
2.2b
people globally lack access to safe drinking water
Our smart cities consulting work encompasses private and public sectors across the entire built environment—where people live, work, and play. From initial strategies to attract residents, companies, and industries, to designing smart cities of the future that optimize city livability, we manage complex infrastructure projects and tackle everyday operational challenges to shape thriving cities that people truly want to call home.
Our Urban Planning Services
BCG’s infrastructure consulting experts help clients overcome the challenges related to planning and implementing infrastructure strategy.
BCG's real estate consultants work with clients across the industry value chain and in all real estate asset classes to drive value.
Related Services
Our Approach to Urban Planning
At BCG, our expertise is based on an innovative, resident-centric approach that we’ve used to improve city livability around the world. This perspective puts the expectations and needs of people at the fore, and guides city master planning, urban resilience, and the design of city services. Our capabilities span multiple facets of city development strategy, including:
City Master Planning
We bring expertise in city development strategy to real estate and city master planning projects. Leveraging BCG’s proprietary global data on quality of life and city livability, we position cities to grow, attracting residents and businesses that stay and thrive.
Investment and Financing
We work with leaders to facilitate commercialization, access to capital markets, infrastructure financing, and
M&A, accelerating urban economic growth, optimizing resources, and de-risking megaprojects and greenfield developments within cities.
Mobility
Today, typical US drivers waste 42 hours each year in traffic and the trend is only accelerating. With AI in smart cities, our urban mobility solutions leverage
artificial intelligence to reduce the amount of time city residents spend commuting and reduce the number of cars on city roads.
Sustainable City Development
We craft
climate-conscious solutions that bolster urban resilience and lead to a more adaptable built environment, specifically for the real estate, waste, and water sectors.
Our approach for decarbonizing cities includes tools that calculate emissions at each stage of the real estate value chain, providing users with valuable data both by asset type and lifecycle stage. BCG’s framework enables clients to embed decarbonization in their vision, mission, and strategy, with a particular focus on high-emission areas such as concrete, steel, and construction materials.
Our approach for decarbonizing cities includes tools that calculate emissions at each stage of the real estate value chain, providing users with valuable data both by asset type and lifecycle stage. BCG’s framework enables clients to embed decarbonization in their vision, mission, and strategy, with a particular focus on high-emission areas such as concrete, steel, and construction materials.
BCG is a knowledge partner for the Smart City Expo World Congress and Liveable CitiesX. We also work closely with the World Economic Forum on critical urban planning topics, such as the future of real estate and green building value chains.
Our Clients’ Success in Urban Planning
250
million trips
City master planning: A major city on the Caspian Sea needed a strategy for its urban mobility system. BCG led an end-to-end design of a regional bus service spanning network planning, infrastructure, and operations, and resulting in the conversion of up to 250 million trips from private to public transport.
$8 -$10
million savings
Real estate: BCG worked with a real estate client to enhance supply chain operations. The project optimized standard operating procedures, resulting in $8 million to $10 million in annualized cost savings, and drove broader operational efficiencies that increased the run rate impact to $15 million to $30 million.
5%-10%
reduction
Water management: A leading South Asian water utility sought to harness digital technologies to enhance operations and water management. BCG’s smart cities consulting team led a data-driven transformation that reduced non-revenue water 5% to 10%.
>50%
savings realized at launch
Construction: A European engineering and construction firm needed a new operating model to boost profitability. Working with BCG, the company unlocked cost savings equal to around 30% of its annual EBIT—and over half of these savings were realized at launch.
Video
March 24, 2025
Urbanization is accelerating, and KONE moves 2 billion people daily. True transformation isn’t just about tech but about people. With BCG’s support, KONE is proving that the right mix of tech, data, and human impact can reshape an entire industry.
Video
February 13, 2025
How does a thriving engineering firm accelerate performance while doubling its investments in digitization and innovation? COWI Group CEO Jens Højgaard Christoffersen talks to BCG's Christin Owings about the successful transformation of COWI.
Video
August 28, 2023
Alberto Milvio, former CFO of Autostrade per l’Italia Group, and Concetta Testa, head of sustainability, share how the company is working to realize sustainable infrastructure.
Our Solutions for Urban Planning
Our urban planning consultants leverage BCG’s proprietary tools and frameworks to help clients achieve sustainable city development and improved city livability.
Water Resilience Assessment
Our AI-powered tool models risk, forecasts trends, and assesses cost impacts, to tackle water stress decision making with precision and insight.
Water Resilience Assessment
City Flow by BCG X
City Flow is a digital twin analyzing mobility patterns to augment urban planning, diagnose transport issues, and optimize city mobility.
City Flow by BCG X
Quality of Life Framework
BCG’s urban planning framework uses 170+ indicators to measure residents’ happiness and pinpoint factors that affect their satisfaction.
Quality of Life Framework
15-Minute City
This urban planning strategy enhances quality of life by placing essential destinations (schools, offices, stores) within 15 minutes of home.
15-Minute City
Smart City Maturity Assessment
This diagnostic helps BCG’s smart cities consulting team assess maturity, key gaps, growth opportunities, and potential for AI in smart cities.
Smart City Maturity Assessment
Our Centers of Excellence in Urban Planning
Throughout our urban planning consulting work, we rely on the expertise of BCG's centers of excellence on urban planning, city development strategy, and smart cities of the future.
Global Center for the Future of Cities
We use advanced research, experts, tools, data, and insights to solve complex urban challenges and support sustainable city development.
Global Center for the Future of Cities
Center for Megaproject Innovation and Delivery
We support $1B+ urban planning projects with tools, financial modeling, and investment strategies, innovating across all phases.
Center for Megaproject Innovation and Delivery
This BCG nonprofit partners with governments, public servants, and changemakers to reimagine government, turning ideas into action.
Industry
This center helps clients tackle congestion, pollution, and technology development, and connects them with key stakeholders along the value chain to bring new ideas to life.
Update
April 29, 2025
Investing to create more age-friendly cities is essential for both the quality of life of senior citizens and future economic growth.
Article
March 7, 2023
Leaders must learn what works in their city—and expeditiously address what doesn’t. Residents’ satisfaction is key to whether they move or stay.
