These Are The World's Smartest Cities

What makes a city “smart?” In 2016, 78 cities applied for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Smart City” challenge, which would award the winner $40 million in federal grant money to upgrade their urban transit systems. DoT selected Columbus, Ohio, as the winner for its proposal to deploy self-driving electric shuttles, launch smart cards to provide free car-sharing services, and develop a connected traffic light system to reduce traffic jams throughout the city. The City of Melbourne (Australia) has launched a Smart City Office, which includes open data projects, a 24-hour pedestrian counting system and city-wide free public WiFi.

Public-private partnerships, affordable technology, long-term urban and budget planning, and equal access to all citizens are just a few things that make cities smart.

Methodology

In our 11th annual Emerging Trends Report , the Future Today Institute analyzed cities and urban centers around the world to determine which are the smartest. Here’s a more complete list of the criteria we used in our research and analysis:

task forces, committees, and departments that are dedicated to longer-term strategic foresight and futures work

managers and cabinet-level staff who are focused on strategic foresight and futures work

government data that’s digitized and accessible

citizen data that’s anonymized, digitized and accessible

community leaders who are experts in tech

proactive cybersecurity staff dedicated to continuous learning

abundant 4G (and soon 5G) connectivity

smart grids for traffic and electricity

public transit systems optimized for riders

availability of car and bike-sharing services

public-private tech partnerships that benefit all income levels

environmental protections

clean energy options

long-term urban planning