Shanghai has been named the world’s number one smart city for the second consecutive year due to its superior connectivity and data systems. The major Chinese city topped Juniper Research’s Smart Cities: Key Technologies, Environmental Impact & Market Forecasts 2022-2026 ranking ahead of New York, Toronto, Seoul and Shenzhen. The ranking of 50 global cities is based on an evaluation of criteria such as transportation, infrastructure, energy and lighting, city management, technology and urban connectivity, according to a statement.
Juniper Research lauded Shanghai for its Citizen Cloud, which provides access to more than 1,000 different services for city residents, as well as its strong deployment of 5G, and its use of innovative technologies including digital twins.
“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,” explained research co-author Nick Maynard in the statement. According to the statement, the top-ranking cities have all rolled out services that are “effectively harnessing data and connectivity to improve citizen experiences”.
The research also reported that cost savings from smart city deployments are forecast to climb from 96 billion US dollars in 2023 to 249 billion globally by 2028, representing growth of 158 per cent. “These cost-savings represent the monetary impacts of reduced energy usage and emissions from the deployment of smart grid, smart traffic management and smart street lighting,” writes Juniper. ce/em
