The initiative which originates from the group of former and future Olympic host cities has moved entirely online due to ongoing restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

It will be the seventh edition of the summit, with entry free for all city entities on October 27 and 28.

Olympic capital Lausanne was initially due to stage the event in person, on the same dates.

"Because we believe that sport has an important role to play on many fronts in a post-COVID-19 society, we have done our utmost to maintain the dates for the summit," said Mélanie Duparc, the director of Smart Cities & Sport.

"This year's programme has been designed to directly address the current challenges of cities and societies with sport being a true catalyst for positive change. 

"We very much look forward to this special edition."

Smart Cities & Sport is considered as the world's leading group of sport cities with more than 300 people normally attending the summit.

"This year's Smart Cities & Sport Summit will focus on how smart and forward-thinking cities can leverage inclusive sport, physical activity and sporting events to advance our common roadmap for transforming our communities and contributing to the UN 2030 Agenda," a statement said.

"Cities, international organisations and international sports federations from around the world will share their inspiring initiatives and best practices for achieving the sustainable development goals."

All sessions and speeches at the summit will be available to watch live or on replay.

Questions and input will be welcomed and sessions will begin at various times to suit different parts of the world.

For the first time, the Smart Cities & Sport marketplace will be arranged online and will open a week before the summit begins.

It allows delegates to get in touch and arrange meetings, and will be accessible throughout the summit. 

Last year's summit was held in Tokyo, the host of next year's postponed Olympic and Paralympic Games.