ISO 37120-2018 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 37120:2018 — Sustainable cities and communities — Indicators for city services and quality of life. This international standard defines a common set of indicators and methodologies to measure and compare the performance of city services and the quality of life they deliver to residents, supporting benchmarking, reporting and data-driven urban planning.

Abstract

ISO 37120:2018 specifies a structured set of indicators (with definitions, units and calculation methods) that allow cities, municipalities and local governments to collect comparable, verifiable data on service delivery and quality of life. It is intended for use alongside ISO 37101 and other strategic frameworks to inform planning, monitor progress and support international benchmarking.

General information

• Status: Published
• Publication date: 5 July 2018.
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• ICS / categories: 13.020.20 (Sustainable development and environment engineering)
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (2018)
• Number of pages: 121 pages.

Scope

ISO 37120:2018 establishes methodologies for a core set of indicators covering social, economic and environmental dimensions of city performance. It is applicable to any city, municipality or local government regardless of size or location and supports comparable, verifiable reporting of services and outcomes. The 2018 edition replaces the original 2014 edition and is aligned to the principles of ISO 37101 for sustainable community management.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition and consistent calculation methods for city indicators (numerator, denominator, units and reporting period).
• Indicator categories including: economy, education, energy, environment & climate change, finance, governance, health, housing, population & social, public safety, recreation, transport, waste and water services.
• Requirements for data collection, validation and documentation to ensure comparability and verifiability of reported results.
• Guidance for presenting indicator results for benchmarking, trend analysis and policy evaluation.
• Compatibility and intended use in conjunction with ISO 37101 and other sustainability/urban frameworks.

Typical use and users

City managers, urban planners, sustainability officers, statisticians, national and regional governments, academic researchers and organizations conducting city benchmarking (including certification bodies and data platforms) use ISO 37120 to standardize urban performance measurement, drive policy decisions, monitor progress and support external reporting.

Related standards

ISO 37120 is part of the ISO 37100 series on sustainable cities and communities. Key related documents include ISO 37101 (management systems for sustainable development in communities) and other series members addressing smart-city indicators and resilience. The 2018 edition supersedes ISO 37120:2014.

Keywords

city indicators, urban indicators, quality of life, sustainable cities, benchmarking, ISO 37120, municipal performance, service delivery, urban data

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 37120:2018 is an International Standard that defines a common set of indicators and methodologies to measure city services and quality of life for benchmarking and reporting.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers indicator definitions, units, calculation rules and guidance across multiple urban sectors (economy, education, energy, environment, health, transport, water, waste, public safety, etc.) to enable comparable and verifiable city-level reporting.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Municipal governments, urban planners, sustainability and performance teams, data platforms, researchers and certification/benchmarking organizations use it to monitor and compare city performance.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 2018 edition (Edition 2) is the current published edition, which replaced the 2014 edition. (ISO has registered further work items to revise/update the series over time.)

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — ISO 37120 is part of the ISO 37100 family on sustainable cities and communities and is intended to be used alongside related standards such as ISO 37101 and other indicators-related documents.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: City indicators, quality of life, sustainable cities, benchmarking, municipal services, urban performance, ISO 37120.