Zurich retains first place in ‘Smart City’ index 

The study examined the extent to which technology helps cities provide residents with a higher quality of life KEYSTONE/© KEYSTONE / MICHAEL BUHOLZER

For the fifth time in a row, the city of Zurich has taken first place in the International Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) ‘Smart City’ index.  

Two other Swiss cities also made it into the top ten, with Geneva in fifth place and Lausanne in seventh. 

The capital cities of Oslo and Canberra, meanwhile, completed the podium in second and third place, respectively, as shown in the results of the IMD study published on Tuesday.  

The top 20 was dominated by Asian and European cities and, for the first time since the index was launched in 2019, no North American city made it into the top 20.  

The study examined the extent to which technology helps cities provide residents with a higher quality of life, with the results providing information on the cities’ openness, innovation, inclusivity and sustainability. 

The core elements of the data analysis and the survey conducted, which looked at 142 cities around the world, were mobility, activities, potential, government, health and safety. 

Adapted from German by DeepL/kp 

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