The top 10 smartest cities globally are not located in the U.S.

The 2024 Smart City Index reveals that European and Asian cities are gaining ground globally, while North American cities have fallen down the ranks.

Seven of the top 10 smart cities are in Europe.

The IMD World Competitiveness Center's Smart City Observatory, in collaboration with the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO) based in Seoul, South Korea, produced this year's index.

The study provides a ranking of 142 smart cities globally, based on data analyzed by researchers and feedback from 120 residents in each city. The report examines the impact of a city's infrastructure and technology on its performance and the well-being of its residents.

So, what is a smart city?

An urban setting that uses technology to improve the advantages and reduce the drawbacks of urbanization for its residents, as defined by the IMD.

Initiatives that improve citizens' quality of life have been developed by cities that excel on the list.

The report states that initiatives aimed at enhancing green spaces and expanding cultural events and social bonding opportunities have been the focus of such efforts.

The report stated that most leading cities have combined innovative strategies with efforts to attract and retain talent, foster investment in a selective manner, such as pro-sustainability, and address longstanding issues related to geographical inequalities and inclusion.

According to the 2024 Smart City Index, the top 10 smart cities are:

1. Zurich, Switzerland
2. Oslo, Norway
3. Canberra, Australia
4. Geneva, Switzerland
5. Singapore
6. Copenhagen, Denmark
7. Lausanne, Switzerland
8. London, England
9. Helsinki, Finland
10. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

For the first time since its inception in 2019, the top 20 cities in the index do not include any from North America.

According to the report, a significant number of US cities have been losing ground when comparing their average ranking for the period 2021-24 to that of the period 2020-23 using three-year moving averages.

"Washington DC, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Chicago are cities with high levels of air pollution."

This year, New York City ranked 34th as the highest U.S. city, with Boston following closely behind at 36th and Washington DC finishing in 50th place.

While European cities dominated the list, Asian cities are gaining ground too.

Here are the top 5 smart cities in Asia:

1. Singapore (5th)
2. Beijing (13th)
3. Taipei City (16th)
4. Seoul (17th)
5. Shanghai (19th)

Since the index's inception in 2019, Singapore has consistently ranked among the top 10 positions. In 2020 to 2023, it ranked 7th, except in 2022 when no rankings were released. This year, Singapore jumped up two positions.

Taipei City has risen 13 places in the rankings from 29th to 16th in just one year.

Cities must develop strategies to withstand the challenges of an uncertain future, according to Bruno Lanvin, president of the Smart City Observatory.

The report stated that while health-related concerns remain high, climate-related ones are growing even larger, complicated by renewed international tensions. Trust and good governance are becoming increasingly important, and the significance of AI in city design and management is set to increase.

As surprising as it may seem, Al can aid cities in becoming more human-centric, Lanvin stated.

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