2nd Edition of Top 50 Smart City Government Rankings Released by ESI Singapore

Singapore emerged top in the rankings alongside Seoul, London, Barcelona, and Helsinki

The 2nd Edition of Top 50 Smart City Government rankings by Singapore-based Eden Strategy Institute focuses on the role of city governments in driving smart city development. The study aims to shed light on the importance of strategy, leadership, people-centricity, policies, ecosystem, incentives, and talent in determining the success and effectiveness of technologies deployed in smart cities, moving beyond evaluating the efficacy and outcomes of technological solutions applied by cities.

More than 230 cities were evaluated and examined by Eden, with city governments invited to submit supporting details, reports, and outcomes of their smart city strategies in a global-wide Call for Proposals during the study. Interviews were then conducted with smart city officials to validate facts and gather more in-depth insights about their unique challenges and pathways in smart city building. The information collected through extensive research by Eden, the Call for Proposals, and the interviews with smart city officials were then used to holistically assess cities.


"Top smart city governments in the 2020/2021 rankings were able to collaborate and partner with public and private sector stakeholders; use digital solutions and data to deliver services and make decisions; all while considering implications on inclusion and citizen trust", says Mr. Calvin Chu Yee Ming, Managing Partner at Eden Strategy Institute.


The 2020/2021 edition also highlights a regional showcase of emerging smart cities that were not featured in the Top 50 rankings. "We also wanted to celebrate how other smart cities across the region excelled in a particular aspect, including their unique and creative efforts to launch smart city initiatives within their city, even though they were not part of the Top 50," explains Mr. Chu.


One of the most distinct elements of Chinese governments' smart city strategies is the large focus on talent development, with city governments expending significant efforts to attract and retain top talent within their cities to drive smart city innovation and to increase technological competitiveness.


Singapore emerged top in the rankings alongside Seoul, London, Barcelona, and Helsinki; cities which were not only advanced in terms of technologies adopted throughout the city, but in their government's efforts to bring the city population along with their digitalization journey. Globally, eighteen new cities were welcomed into the Top 50 list, including cities such as Tallinn, Oslo, and Moscow.


Top 50 Smart City Government Rankings

Rank   City

Rank   City

Rank    City

Rank    City

Rank    City

1.         Singapore

2.         Seoul

3.         London

4.         Barcelona

5.         Helsinki

6.         New York City

7.         Montreal

8.         Shanghai

9.         Vienna

10.       Amsterdam

11.       Columbus, Ohio

12.       Tallinn

13.       San Francisco

14.       Moscow

15.       Beijing

16.       Chengdu

17.       Tel Aviv

18.       Sydney

19.       Taipei

20.       Melbourne

21.        Hamilton, New Zealand

22.        Tokyo

23.        Berlin

24.        Milan

25.        Shenzhen

26.        Dublin

27.        Oslo

28.        Bandung

29.        Hangzhou
30.        Busan

 

31.        Adelaide

32.        Boston
33.        Wellington

34.        Dubai

35.        Copenhagen

36.        Guangzhou

37.        Seattle

38.        Frankfurt

39.        Philadelphia

40.        Los Angeles

41.        Hong Kong

42.        Chicago

43.        Christchurch

44.        Vancouver

45.        Zurich

46.        The Hague

47.        Rotterdam

48.        Lisbon

49.        Chongqing

50.        Stockholm

The rankings this year also revealed several smart city trends and insights. An increasing number of cities have prioritized environmental sustainability in their agenda, recognizing the importance and urgency of addressing the effects of climate change.


The full report, including detailed feature articles covering topics such as COVID-19, sustainability, data privacy, financing, and social inclusion; the city as well as regional highlights; and detailed scores, is available for download on www.smartcitygovt.com.


The article was first published at IndraStra Global

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