On April 20, a scientific seminar on the topic “Transformation of Cities: Smart Technologies and Digital Economy” was held at Sumgayit State University (SSU) within the framework of the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13), which is scheduled to be held in Baku in May of this year. The seminar began with the speakership of a student of the Faculty of Economics and Management, Zahra Rzayeva. The speaker stated that radical changes in the structure and management that keep pace with the rapid development of modern urban planning technologies have become a necessity. It was emphasized that today's scientific seminar will discuss the factors that determine it. Senior lecturer of the Department of Finance and Accounting, Chichek Najafova continued the topic with her speech, spoke about the priority directions of the digital economy for the cities of the future. It was noted that in this model, the management of key resources is carried out through digital platforms, and e-commerce, online banking, digital services, and artificial intelligence are the main elements of the model. Dean of the faculty, associate professor Logman Abdullayev congratulated the students for organizing a seminar on a topical issue. It was emphasized that population growth in cities has become a global problem. It was reported that the solution to the problem lies in digital management in transport, energy, security and other areas. It was also noted that the human factor is the main priority in the “smart city” model and the transformation of cities is one of the main development directions of the modern era. At the same time, confidence was expressed that the “WUF13” to be held in our country will make significant contributions to international urban planning approaches.