The Cities of the Future Index: Easypark

October 14, 2021

The Cities of the Future Index: Easypark

The global study uses data to reveal the smartest cities in the world, with a focus on how they are adopting new technologies to create a more sustainable and liveable present and future for their citizens.

• London, UK, ranks as the most intelligent and future-proof city with a population of over 3 million people, followed by New York, USA, and San Francisco, USA. 

• Copenhagen, Denmark, ranks as the most intelligent and future-proof city with a population of between 600,000 and 3 million people, followed by Stockholm, Sweden, and Oslo, Norway.

• Lund, Sweden, ranks as the most intelligent and future-proof city with a population of between 50,000 and 600,000 people, followed by Stavanger, Norway, and Espoo, Finland.

STOCKHOLM, Oct. 13, 2021  — EasyPark Group, the global parking tech company, releases a study about the most intelligent and future-proof cities in the world that reveals which cities are best adopting new technological solutions to improve their sustainability and liveability. As mobility innovators, EasyPark Group recognizes the impact that new technologies have on societies, and how it can help to create sustainable and forward thinking urban areas that enhance the lives of their inhabitants. The company therefore set out to determine which global smart cities are leading the way in embracing technological advancements, and proving themselves to be Cities of the Future.

– Many governments are stepping up their responses to climate change and innovative solutions often begin in major cities before filtering out to the rest of the country. Many of the highest scoring cities in the index score well for high electric car usage and low CO2 emissions rates, and while cities continue to expand, mobility is taking on an increasingly important role in people’s day to day lives. Whilst the world faces challenges relating to climate change, some of the most technologically advanced cities around the world have already adopted innovative services and solutions to optimize traffic flow and ease mobility, to make the city more liveable, says Johan Birgersson, CEO of EasyPark Group.

How the study was conducted

The study began by assessing several thousand cities around the world and looked at those smart cities that are leading the way in implementing the use of new technologies. Understanding that cities face different challenges depending on their population, the study was split into three size categories: 1) metropolitan areas with over 3 million inhabitants, 2) between 600,000 and 3 million inhabitants, and 3) between 50,000 and 600,000 inhabitants. The result of the study reveals the top 50 highest ranking smart and future-proof cities worldwide in each category.

The study established the factors that determine how technologically advanced and sustainable a city is and scored the locations accordingly. To do this, the study retrieved data from sources such as the World Bank, the Economist, the International Monetary Fund and the Lancet. Four key areas were considered:

Firstly, the Digital Life of each city is studied by assessing how widely technology has been adopted by the population, the government and within the healthcare sector. It also reviews the success and reputation of technology educational institutions in each urban area.

Next, the study focus on Mobility Innovation. To do this, researchers looked at how innovative parking solutions are within each city, the overall traffic management system including public transport, and how clean transport in the city is.

Following this, the study considers each city’s Business Tech Infrastructure. To do this, the level of business innovation, prevalence of ePayments and quality of internet connectivity in each location is measured.

Finally, the Environmental Sustainability of each city is evaluated by analysing green energy usage, the number of green buildings, the waste management system and the overall climate change response and planning.

Findings (for full index: www.easyparkgroup.com/studies/cities-of-the-future/en/)

Below list shows the world’s leading big cities with over 3 million inhabitants. All factors combined, these cities are the best at adopting new technologies to create a more sustainable and liveable present and future for their citizens.

1. London, UK  100,00
2. New York, USA  95,84
3. San Francisco, USA  94,43
4. Singapore, Singapore  94,21
5. Berlin, Germany  92,58
6. Rotterdam, Netherlands  91,44
7. Seattle, USA  90,40
8. Seoul, South Korea  87,50
9. Washington D.C., USA  86,77
10. Manchester, UK  85,34

Below lists show the world’s leading medium and smaller sized cities. All factors combined, these cities are the best at adopting new technologies to create a more sustainable and liveable present and future for their citizens.

Population between 600,000 and 3 million

1. Copenhagen, Denmark  100,00
2. Stockholm, Sweden  99,84
3. Oslo, Norway  98,48
4. Amsterdam, Netherlands  96,57
5. Zurich, Switzerland  94,04
6. Gothenburg, Sweden  88,93
7. Helsinki, Finland  87,92
8. Boston, USA  84,65
9. Utrecht, Netherlands  83,13
10. Edinburgh, UK  79,82

Population between 50,000 and 600,000

1. Lund, Sweden  100,00
2. Stavanger, Norway  88,75
3. Espoo, Finland  88,07
4. Malmo, Sweden  87,49
5. Aalborg, Denmark  87,09
6. Aarhus, Denmark  86,88
7. Trondheim, Norway  85,25
8. Bergen, Norway  84,77
9. Porvoo, Finland  81,35
10. Cambridge, UK  81,17

Below list shows the best ranking big cities (population over 3 million) within the area of green energy. A higher score indicates a higher usage of energy from renewable sources.

1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil  100,00
2. Seattle, USA  91,96
3. Montreal, Canada  85,62
4. Toronto, Canada  85,62
5. Santiago, Chile  77,06
6. San Diego, USA  74,92
7. San Francisco, USA  74,92
8. Los Angeles, USA  74,92
9. Berlin, Germany  72,95
10. Cologne (Cologne Bonn Area), Germany  72,95

Below list shows the big cities (population over 3 million) where citizens are best at adopting new technologies. A higher score indicates a faster rate of adopting new technologies in each location.

1. San Francisco, USA  100,00
2. New York, USA  93,62
3. Seoul, South Korea  91,33
4. Washington D.C., USA  90,92
5. Berlin, Germany  89,82
6. Seattle, USA  89,55
7. Atlanta, USA  89,29
8. Miami, USA  89,05
9. Singapore, Singapore  88,98
10. Toronto, Canada  88,69

Below list shows the best ranking big cities (population over 3 million) within parking innovation. A higher score indicates a more developed parking ecosystem in each location.

1. London, UK  100,00
2. Manchester, UK  94,63
3. Berlin, Germany  92,42
4. Paris, France 91,31
5. Tokyo, Japan 87,34
6. Rotterdam, Netherlands 86,00
7. San Francisco, USA 85,59
8. Barcelona, Spain  84,95
9. Madrid, Spain  84,30
10. Cologne (Cologne Bonn Area), Germany  83,77

– It is interesting to see patterns in development forming within continents. Whilst metropolitan areas in Europe score well across the various size categories, the study shows that Scandinavian cities all rank particularly highly. It is evident that these countries are at the cutting edge of adopting new technologies. Looking at urban areas with between 600,000 and 3 million inhabitants, 50 percent of the top 10 cities are in Scandinavia. This is also the case for cities with between 50,000 and 600,000 inhabitants, where 90 percent of the top 10 are from these countries. It is clear that Scandinavian nations are doing all they can to provide sustainable and liveable environments for their citizens, concludes Johan Birgersson, CEO of EasyPark Group.

Read more about the Cities of the Future Index and see the full ranking here: www.easyparkgroup.com/studies/cities-of-the-future/en/