Celebrating the leading Smart City Governments in the world
Smart City innovations offer mayors across the world a promising new way of engaging citizens and increasing quality of life. To offer city leaders guidance on assessing the readiness of their governments to develop, facilitate, or track their smart city initiatives, Eden Strategy Institute developed an independent ranking of the Top 50 Smart City Governments.
2020/21 Top 50 Smart City Government Rankings
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| Ranking | City | Total Score | Vision | Leadership | Budget | Financial Incentives | Support Programmes | Talent-Readiness | People Centricity | Innovation Ecosystem | Smart Policies | Track Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 35.8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3 |
| 2 | Seoul | 34 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 3 | London | 33.1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | Barcelona | 32.1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.1 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| 5 | Helsinki | 32 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 6 | New York City | 31.9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2.9 | 3 |
| 7 | Montreal | 31.8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2.9 | 3 | 4 | 3.9 |
| 8 | Shanghai | 31.3 | 3 | 3 | 2.1 | 3.1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2.1 | 4 |
| 9 | Vienna | 31.2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| 10 | Amsterdam | 31.1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 3 | 3.1 |
| 11 | Columbus | 31 | 4 | 3 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 12 | Tallinn | 30.2 | 3.1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3.1 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| 13 | San Francisco | 30 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2.1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2.9 |
| 14 | Moscow | 29.6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2.9 | 3 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 4 |
| 15 | Beijing | 29.3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 4 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 4 |
| 16 | Chengdu | 29.1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 17 | Tel Aviv | 29 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 18 | Sydney | 28.9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2.9 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 19 | Taipei | 28.8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2.9 | 3 | 3 | 2.9 | 3 |
| 20 | Melbourne | 28.3 | 2 | 3 | 2.1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3 |
| 21 | Hamilton | 28.1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3.1 | 3 | 2.1 | 3 | 2.9 |
| 22 | Tokyo | 28 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 23 | Berlin | 27.9 | 3 | 3.9 | 2 | 2 | 2.9 | 2 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3 | 2.9 |
| 24 | Milan | 27.8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2.9 | 3 | 4 | 2.9 |
| 25 | Shenzhen | 27.3 | 3 | 3 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1.1 | 4 |
| 26 | Dublin | 27.1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3.1 | 2 | 2.1 | 2.9 |
| 27 | Oslo | 27 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 28 | Bandung | 26.9 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 29 | Hangzhou | 26.8 | 3.9 | 1 | 3 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3.1 | 4 |
| 30 | Busan | 26.7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| 31 | Adelaide | 26.5 | 3 | 3 | 2.9 | 2 | 2.9 | 1 | 2.9 | 3 | 3 | 2.8 |
| 32 | Boston | 26.4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 3 | 2.1 | 2 | 3.1 | 3 |
| 33 | Wellington | 26.3 | 3.1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2.1 | 2 | 3 | 3.1 |
| 34 | Dubai | 26.2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2.9 | 3 | 2 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 3 |
| 35 | Copenhagen | 26.1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3.1 |
| 36 | Guangzhou | 26.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2.1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 37 | Seattle | 26 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 38 | Frankfurt | 25.9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2.9 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 39 | Philadelphia | 25.8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2.9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2.9 |
| 40 | Los Angeles | 25.7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2.9 | 3 | 2.9 | 2 | 2.9 |
| 41 | Hong Kong | 25.6 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3.9 | 2 | 2.9 | 3 | 1 | 1.9 | 2.9 |
| 42 | Chicago | 25.3 | 3 | 3 | 2.1 | 2 | 2.1 | 3 | 2.9 | 2 | 2.1 | 3.1 |
| 43 | Christchurch | 25.2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2.1 | 3 | 2.1 | 3 |
| 44 | Vancouver | 25.1 | 2.1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| 45 | Zurich | 25 | 3 | 2.1 | 2 | 2 | 1.9 | 3 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
| 46 | The Hague | 24.9 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2.9 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 47 | Rotterdam | 24.8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2.1 | 3 | 3 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 3 |
| 48 | Lisbon | 24.7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1.9 | 2 | 1.9 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2.9 |
| 49 | Chongqing | 24.3 | 3 | 3 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2 | 3 | 3.1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 50 | Stockholm | 24.2 | 3.1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3.1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Key insights
In this edition of the Top 50 Smart City Government Rankings, we explore two key themes in greater depth through our feature articles. The urban experience as of late has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as increasing awareness and impetus for action to address climate change, both of which pose serious consequences to our future.
The hardcopy report contains five articles that feature a collection of good practices adopted across cities worldwide, specifically address COVID-19 and climate change resilience. The summary of each piece is as below:
1. Smart Strategies to Tackle COVID-19
We share a collection of good practices of how smart city governments have tapped into technology to better manage infection rates during the COVID-19 economy, improve their city’s resilience, and even chart a new future for the city.
2. Achieving Carbon Neutrality at City Scale
We celebrate some good from cities around the world who have taken bold and effective steps to contribute to reducing global warming, and reflect on the critical role that city governments play in charting a better and greener future.
3. Creative models in Smart City Financing
We feature creative models in smart city financing as city governments face numerous challenges in accessing private sector finance due to the unpredictability of outcomes and associated risks identified in the projects.
4. Addressing Privacy and Security Concerns
We look into the most recent developments in data privacy and security amongst smart city governments and reflects on how city governments can continue to build trust amongst their citizens amidst escalating privacy concerns.
5. Building Inclusive Smart Cities
We imagine a cohesive society to be one where citizens feel a sense of belonging, respect and trust in others, enjoy shared opportunities, participate fully in urban life, and are not excluded socially or spatially (e.g. residing in areas with limited access to transportation services or other facilities).