Half of the 20 most smart modern cities in the world are located in China and the United States shows a new study of the Eden Strategy Institute and the ONG&ONG urbanization specialists.
Analyzing over 140 cities worldwide, the report distinguishes Top 20 of the cities with the smartest governance. The ranking is based on criteria such as clarity of vision, leadership, budget, provision of financial incentives, etc.
The British capital of London, followed by Singapore and Seoul, has been placed as the basis of the comprehensive analysis of the summit. No other country, however, has more than one representative, while China has a total of 4 cities and the US – 6 cities. These are Hong Kong, Taipei, Shēn zhèn and Shanghai respectively, as well as Charlotte, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston and New York.
As expected, a Bulgarian city is not present in Top 50 of the order.
Improved Wi-Fi and broadband connection; monitoring of air quality; better management of water resources; energy efficiency; timely monitoring and response to disasters are the characteristics of smart cities from which citizens are most interested.
Meanwhile, almost three quarters of civil servants have a positive attitude towards the development of smart cities, providing for a number of advantages – savings from operational efficiency; optimised use of resources; improved public services and interaction between citizens; improving decision-making; and the possibility of attracting highly skilled workers and companies.
The integration of smart technologies into our daily life is the next complex step in the evolutionary puzzle and it is far from being exhausted by the purchase of the relevant devices at home. “Getting smater” most often begins at home, but the process is, in fact, increasingly encompassing whole neighbourhoods and even cities.
The idea of a place where information flow and coordination between urban infrastructure make it possible to put an end to most urban life problems has never been more important and closer to its implementation. In recent years, a number of major cities are trying to use the collected databases and technological advances to tackle challenges such as urban crime, threats to public health, congestion, economic inequalities, etc.
