Singapore ranked top of smart city index for third year
Source: Smart Cities World Team
The 2021 survey noted that that city dwellers’ perceptions of how technology is helping to address urban challenges has been highly affected by the pandemic and its acceleration of digital transformation.
Singapore (1st), Zurich (2nd) and Oslo (3rd) have been named as the leading smart cities in the third edition of the annual IMD-SUTD Smart City Index (SCI).
The SCI is the work of the Smart City Observatory which sees the Institute of Management Development’s (IMD) World Competitiveness Centre (WCC) join forces with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to offer a balanced take on the economic and technological aspects of smart cities on the one hand, and more “humane dimensions” of urban living, such as quality of life, environment, and inclusiveness, on the other.
Three Swiss cities appeared in the leading 10, including Lausanne, which appeared for the first time. Rounding out the top 10 are: Taipei City (4), Lausanne (5), Helsinki (6), Copenhagen (7), Geneva (8), Auckland (9) and Bilbao (10). The bottom three cities in the ranking are Bogota (116), Sao Paulo (117) and Rio de Janeiro (118).
Urban challenges
This year’s survey noted that that city dwellers’ perceptions of how technology is helping to address urban challenges has been highly affected by the pandemic and its acceleration of digital transformation.
“This year’s findings shed light on the tectonic shifts that have disrupted logistical chains and organisational structures worldwide as a result of the Cov-19 pandemic,” said Bruno Lanvin, president of IMD’s Smart City Observatory.
Some 15,000 city dwellers were surveyed globally in July across 118 cities. They were asked how their respective cities were doing regarding health and safety; mobility; activities; work and school; and governance. Statements that they were asked to agree or disagree with included: “Recycling services are satisfactory”, “Public safety is not a problem” and “Air pollution is not a problem”. They were also asked to select five priority areas for their city from a list of 15.
“Initiatives taken at city level will continue to be critically important to confirm the shape and extent of the global post-pandemic recovery that the world needs. Smart cities will continue to be at the forefront of this challenge”
Access to better air quality and to health services has become a greater priority in such smart cities worldwide since the pandemic outbreak, the data found. But worldwide, the number one concern in smart cities is access to affordable housing.
The report also shows that citizens’ concerns seem to change as their cities become ‘smarter’. For example, the cost of housing tends to be a dominant concern in the top-ranking cities whereas lower-ranking ones tend to grant a higher degree of priority to solving issues related to health and safety. Environmental concerns are comparatively higher in richer cities.
The top three SCI cities in profile are:
1 Singapore (1st place in 2020)
One of the richest nations in the world with a GNI per capita of 88,155, the city state is home to the world’s busiest port in terms of shipping tonnage. The so-called “Switzerland of Asia” is less chaotic and differs from the rest of mainland Asia in its low crime, poverty, and traffic rates. Over the past few years, the government has implemented a strategy to transform Singapore into a “city in a garden” with solar-powered super trees that can reach up to 50 metres in height, and smart and sustainable towns
2 Zurich (3rd place in 2020)
The cosmopolitan city and financial centre overlooking the lake combines creative urban life with nature. Considered Switzerland’s economic and educational hub, Zurich is also one of the safest places to live in Europe. Thanks to clean and efficient public transport, its air quality rating is on a par with much smaller cities. This, along with more than 300 recycling collection points and a project for creating a “2,000-watt society” through energy-efficient home and office blocks, makes it one of the most sustainable cities in the world
3 Oslo (5th place in 2020)
For the Scandinavian city, the fight against climate change has been a priority for years. Oslo aims to cut emissions by 95 per cent by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2050. To do so, authorities are introducing emission-free buses and cabs. In Oslo, which is home to around one million people, even the construction sector is ‘green’ with buildings that are energy efficient thanks to smart technology. The Norwegian capital is also a champion of open data in areas including environment, health, agriculture, traffic and demographics.
This year, nine new cities were added to the listing: Bordeaux, Glasgow, Istanbul, Kiel, Lausanne, Leeds, Lille, Medina and San José. They were selected based on…
The full index can be downloaded at Smart City Observatory.