The Top Smart Cities in Each Region of the World from IoT Institute
What does it mean to be a smart city? Here are eight cities located across the globe that attempt to answer that question.
For a city to live up to its potential, investing in gee-whiz technology is not enough, say researchers at IESE Business School in Spain. A true smart city must score well in terms of sustainability, connectivity, innovation, as well as social cohesion, explains the most recent IESE Cities in Motion Index. Here, we present the top city in each of the regions described in IESE’s research.
#1 in Western Europe: London
London leads the world in terms of human capital but not so well in social cohesion. The city also happens to have the biggest tech market in the world, worth £19 billion. The city established its Smart London plan in December 2013, which is designed to help preserve the quality of life in London amidst quick population growth.
#1 in Eastern Europe: Prague, Czech Republic
Prague's smart city plan focuses on network infrastructure, innovation-friendly urban development, efficient public services, and workforce and infrastructure development.
#1 in Asia: Seoul, South Korea
One of the biggest metro areas in the world, Seoul scores well in terms of technology, mobility, and transportation. While Tokyo gives Seoul a run for its money in terms of technological investment, Seoul scores better in nearly every other department. The city's public transportation system and emergency warning system are especially advanced.