Juniper, which specialises in the “sustainability and IoT market”, has ranked Shanghai at number one for smartness for the second year running.
New York is in second place, followed by Toronto, Seoul and Shenzen.
Juniper Research ranks cities ervey year based on an evaluation of a variety of different ‘smart’ city characteristics, including transport and infrastructure, energy and lighting, city management and technology, and ‘urban connectivity’ – also known as street layout.
Among the factors making Shanghai the smartest city in 2023 is its Suishenban Citizen Cloud, which provides access for over 1,000 different services for its residents.
Around 10 million people – half the city’s population – use the cloud system to register births and marriages and access social security, medical treatment, legal services and transport.
The system also allows the Chinese government to keep an eye on what its citizens are up to.
Shanghai was also rated highly for its strong deployment of 5G, and its use of innovative technologies including digital twins. The leading cities in this ranking have all rolled out services that are effectively harnessing data and connectivity to “improve citizen experiences,” said Juniper.
Research co-author Nick Maynard said: “Shanghai has taken a joined-up approach to data, building not only a robust and all-encompassing data platform but also the connectivity to underpin every aspect of this.
“This joined-up approach is the biggest takeaway for rival cities wanting to emulate Shanghai’s achievements and should be a part of any smart city initiative to ensure success.”
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