According to IMD, these are the ten smartest cities in the world.
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Smart cities in Europe and Asia are growing globally, while cities in North America have slipped down the rankings. 2024 Smart City Index Released on April.
Seven of the top 10 smart cities on the list were from Europe.
This year’s index was developed by the IMD World Competitiveness Center’s Smart City Observatory in collaboration with the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO), based in Seoul, South Korea.
The report ranks 142 smart cities around the world based on data analyzed by researchers, as well as survey responses from 120 residents of each city. The study examines how the infrastructure and technology available in a city affects the efficiency of the city and the quality of life of its residents.
So, what is a smart city?
According to IMDa smart city is defined as “an urban setting that applies technology to enhance the benefits and reduce the disadvantages of urbanization for its citizens.”
With very few exceptions, the cities in the top 20 are geographically located in areas where the social and economic environment is relatively predictable, even against an overall climate of global uncertainty.
IMD Smart City Index 2024
Cities that perform well on the list have also developed measures that address the overall quality of life of their citizens.
“Such initiatives have focused on promoting green spaces and expanding opportunities for cultural events and social interaction,” according to the report.
“In the majority of these leading cities, such efforts have been combined with innovative strategies to attract and retain talent, promoting investment in a selective manner. [e.g. pro-sustainability]and tackling long-standing issues of geographic inequality and inclusion,” the report said.
According to the 2024 Smart City Index, here are the top 10 smart cities.
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Oslo, Norway
- Canberra, Australia
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Singapore
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Lausanne, Switzerland
- London, England
- Helsinki, Finland
- Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Notably, for the first time since the index’s inception in 2019, there is an absence of North American cities in the top 20.
“On a three-year moving average (that is, comparing the average city ranking for the period 2021-24 to the period 2020-23), a significant number of U.S. cities are losing ground,” according to the report. According to.
“This is particularly the case for Washington DC, Denver, and Los Angeles (-12, -12, and -11, respectively), but also for San Francisco (-9), New York City (-7), and Chicago. There is also -4).
The top-ranked US city this year is New York City at 34th, followed by Boston at 36th and Washington DC at 50th.
While European cities dominate the list, Asian cities are also gaining ground.
Here are the top 5 smart cities in Asia:
- Singapore (5th)
- Beijing (13th)
- Taipei City (16th)
- Seoul (17th)
- Shanghai (19th)
Singapore has consistently ranked in the top 10 since the index’s inception in 2019. It was ranked 7th from 2020 to 2023 – except for 2022 when no ranking was released, and moved up two positions this year.
Taipei City also jumped 13 positions from last year, from 29th in 2023 to 16th this year.
“Cities must design and adopt strategies that can withstand the test of an increasingly uncertain future,” said Bruno Lennon, president of the Smart City Observatory.
“Health concerns remain high, while climate concerns are growing; a mix complicated by new international tensions. Trust and good governance are increasingly important, and city design and management Al is going to grow in importance.” He said in the report.
“As counterintuitive as it may seem, Al can help cities become more human-centered,” Lennon added.
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