Zurich has been voted the second smartest city in the world, with Geneva taking fourth place to ensure that, from a total of 102 cities around the world, two from Switzerland ranked highly. This is the result of the first edition of the Smart City Index 2019 (SCI). The SCI was devised by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), a private business school located in Lausanne. The study findings have now been presented by the Smart City Observatory (SCO) of the IMD World Competitiveness Center. To this end, the SCO worked in conjunction with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).
Zürich offers excellent infrastructure
Zurich fared particularly well in the category of healthcare and safety. Its basic sanitation, recycling services, public safety and healthcare services received praise in this category, among other factors. Respondents also awarded high marks to Zurich’s public transport system, with Zurich also rated positively for its good education and training opportunities.
Geneva shines with free time activities
In Geneva, the respondents above all praised the varied free time activities on offer in the city. As was the case with Zurich, Geneva also received good marks for the subcategories of recycling services and public safety. Moreover, the city also scored well for its education and training opportunities.
The rankings were headed up by Singapore, with Oslo in third place behind Zurich. Copenhagen rook fifth place behind Geneva, while Nairobi, Rabat and Lagos were consigned to the bottom of the rankings.
Advantages lie in appeal for investors
According to the information available, the SCI is the only global index for cities in which the perceptions of citizens serve as benchmarks. The index made clear just how important it is for politics to take into account the perspectives offered by the inhabitants of cities. However, belonging to the group of advanced cities is also said to offer advantages in terms of appeal for investments and specialists. Smart Cities would also create an optimum environment for creative urban planning solutions, sustainable energy and traffic management strategies, while these places would also offer improved prospects for social integration and talent promotion.
