Zurich returns to first place in the Smart City Index

For the fifth time in a row, the city of Zurich has won first place in the Smart City Index from IMD, the International Institute for Management Development. Other Swiss cities are also in the top 10, with Geneva in fifth place and Lausanne in seventh. The index assesses residents’ perceptions of issues related to the structures and technological applications available in 142 cities around the world.

The capital cities of Oslo (Norway) and Canberra (Australia) completed the IMD podium, in second and third place respectively. Since 2019, when the index was launched, this was the first time that no North American city made it into the top 20.

“Cities must devise and adopt strategies that can remain relevant in a future increasingly covered by uncertainty,” said Bruno Lanvin, president of the Smart Cities Observatory, part of the IMD Centre for Global Competitiveness, which carried out the research. “Trust and good governance are gaining importance, and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the design and management of cities is set to grow. As counterintuitive as it may seem, AI can help cities become more people-centred.”

The index was produced for the second year running in partnership with the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organisation (WeGO), based in Seoul (South Korea), an international association of local governments, smart technology solution providers and other institutions. The report serves as a valuable benchmark for progress in openness, innovation, inclusion and sustainability.

Why have cities in the United States collapsed?

North American cities proved more volatile in the annual Smart City Index ranking.

Last year, most cities in the United States rose in the index, but fell this year. According to Lavin, a possible explanation can be found in the Build Back Better Framework, a public investment plan proposed by US President Joe Biden for the period between 2020 and 2021, focusing on social, environmental and infrastructure programmes. “The initiative has had some positive effect in the past, but this year’s elections may be making people more critical of the areas that need to be improved,” Lavin adds.

The cities of Washington DC and Denver fell 12 places, while Los Angeles fell 11, San Francisco nine, New York seven and Chicago four.

In addition to the North American group, Ottawa and Montreal in Canada also fell three and nine places in the ranking, respectively. According to the study, there has been a deterioration in infrastructure and security throughout the region.

Going against the grain

Quality of life, meanwhile, has played a positive role in a growing number of cities. Zurich, Oslo, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Beijing and Seoul are the most consistent performers in the Top 20 since the index began in 2019. Sydney, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tallinn, Riyadh and Melbourne are likely to enter the Top 20 soon, judging by the dynamics in recent years.

In Brazil

Brazilian cities came bottom of the Smart City Index. Brasilia was the best placed, in 130th position, followed by São Paulo in 132nd and Rio de Janeiro in 139th place – a drop from last year’s edition of the index in all three cases.

For São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the main concerns are safety and health services. For São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the main concerns are safety and health services. In Brasilia, the order of priority issues is reversed.