10 smartest cities in the world
(Baonghean.vn) - According to the Smart City Index 2024 announced last April, Europe has 7 cities in the list of 10 smartest cities in the world, especially Zurich, Switzerland, ranked highest.
This year's Smart City Index is conducted by The Smart City Observatory, part of the IMD World Competitiveness Center, in collaboration with the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO), headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.
The report ranks 142 smart cities around the world based on data analyzed by researchers, along with survey responses from 120 residents in each city. The study provides a snapshot of how the infrastructure and technology available in a city affects the city’s performance and the quality of life of its residents.
What is a smart city?
In the era of technology explosion, the concept of “smart city” is increasingly attracting attention. These cities apply advanced technology to all aspects of life, from transportation, energy to education, healthcare, to improve the quality of life for people and develop sustainably.
According to IMD, a smart city is defined as “an urban area that applies technology to increase the benefits and reduce the disadvantages of urbanization for its residents.”
“With very few exceptions, the cities in the top 20 are generally located in regions with relatively stable social and economic environments, even amid general global uncertainty,” the Smart Cities Index 2024 report said.
Cities that performed well on the list also developed initiatives to improve the overall quality of life of their residents. These initiatives focused on developing green spaces and expanding opportunities for cultural events and social engagement.
“In most of these top cities, those efforts have been combined with innovative strategies to attract and retain talent, drive targeted investment, and address longstanding issues related to geographic inequality and inclusion,” the report said.
10 smartest cities in the world
The World’s Smartest Cities 2024 report found that Switzerland’s Zurich topped the list of the 10 smartest cities. Factors that contributed to Zurich’s ranking as the world’s smartest city include its ability to be both a global hub and “a livable city with strong human-centered policies.”
The combination of employment, finance and more makes the city a magnet for global talent. Zurich's location and mild weather also make it a place of exceptional beauty and quality of life.
The next rankings belong to Oslo, Norway (2nd place), Canberra, Australia (3rd place), Geneva, Switzerland (4th place), Singapore (5th place), Copenhagen, Denmark (6th place), Lausanne, Switzerland (7th place), London, UK (8th place), Helsinki, Finland (9th place) Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (10th place).
Notably, this is the first time since the launch of the Smart Cities Index report in 2019 that no North American city has made it into the list of the world's 20 smartest cities.
When comparing the average city ranking in 2021-2024 with that in 2020-2023, a significant number of US cities fell in the rankings of the world's smartest cities, the report said.
Accordingly, the US cities of Washington DC, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Chicago dropped 12, 12, 11, 9, 7 and 4 places in the rankings, respectively.
The highest-ranking US city this year was New York, at 34th, followed by Boston at 36th and Washington DC at 50th.
Although European cities dominate the list of the world's smartest cities, Asian cities are also following suit.
Accordingly, Singapore (5th place), Beijing of China (13th place), Taipei city of Taiwan (16th place), Seoul of South Korea (17th place) and Shanghai of China (19th place).
Notably, the island nation of Singapore has consistently been in the top 10 smartest cities in the world since the index was launched in 2019. Singapore ranked 7th from 2020 to 2023 except for 2022 when no rankings were published and rose two places this year.
Taipei City also jumped 13 places from last year, from 29th place in 2023 to 16th place this year.
“Cities must design and implement strategies to overcome the challenges of an increasingly uncertain future,” said Bruno Lanvin, Chairman of the Smart Cities Monitor. “Trust and good governance are becoming increasingly important, and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in city design and management will become increasingly important.”
