London named among the world's 'smartest' cities

A global study has unveiled the top 100 cities in the world which are at the forefront of the digital revolution as designers and policy makers look to make the world a smarter and safer place to live.

According to the 2017 Smart Cities Index produced by European parking app EasyPark, Copenhagen is leading the way when it comes to innovation and forward-thinking urban development. The Danish capital is followed by Singapore and Stockholm, Sweden. The EasyPark study used 19 measuring factors to grade cities including smart parking, public transport, clean energy, urban planning, education, business ecosystems and Wi-Fi hotspots. Copenhagen is ranked at the top for scoring particularly well in terms of smart parking, smart buildings, robust business ecosystems and smartphone penetration.

London was the only UK city to feature in the top 20 list after it achieved a total score of 7.18 out of 10, compared to an 8.24 for first-placed Copenhagen in Denmark. London scored particularly well for car sharing services and Wi-Fi hotspots – topped only by New York. The other UK cities to feature in the top 100 were Birmingham and Leeds, finishing in 55^th and 65^th respectively.

EasyPark say the study offers the perfect opportunity to clearly understand which cities are making impressive strides towards a smoother, digitalised life for their citizens. The company’s study have unearthed some interesting findings for future exploration. One example being the discovery that Romania faster internet than most of North America and South Korea having the highest smartphone usage in the world.

The full list of results can be viewed, here.