Asia and Europe dominate the rankings. While the ‘SCI superchampions’ remain more or less the same (Zurich, Oslo, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Beijing and Seoul), another group of ‘fast moving contenders’ is on their heels: Sydney, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tallinn, Riyadh and Melbourne.
Last year, most US cities rose in the Index but this year they have fallen. Some explanation can be found in President Biden’s Build Back Better initiative, which had a positive effect. In contrast, this year elections are on the horizon, making people more critical about areas that need to be improved.
Future-readiness will be key to the success of smart cities in the years to come. In an age of increased uncertainties (geopolitical, environmental, social and economic), cities can do better than nation states. Being more human-centric will be part of the winning equation. Counterintuitive as it may sound, artificial intelligence can be a key to human-centricity and sustainability on the cities of to-morrow.
With this fifth edition (produced in partneship with WeGO in Korea), IMD’s Smart City Index (SCI) has now reached an age of maturity. Its methodology is stable, and its coverage worldwide (including 142 cities). The availability of significant SCI time series offers the possibility to compare moving averages, eliminating a significant part of the noise that perceptions/surveys can generate. Around the world, investors, city leaders and ordinary citizens are giving increasing attention to SCI’s results. Your feedback matters : please contact us through the smartcityobservatory website !
