Vienna won again in a global comparison of smart city strategies against 152 major cities. This happens for the second time in a row. Second in the ranking is another European city – London; the city of St. Albert in Canada holds the third place. The number of cities with a clear Smart City strategy has almost doubled in the past two years, rising from 87 to 153. However, 90% of these cities still do not have an integrated Smart City strategy. Even then, strategy is only the first step – it’s the implementation that really matters.
Vienna ranked first because of its integrated framework strategy and innovative solutions for mobility, the environment, education, healthcare and public administration, as well as a system to monitor the progress of the individual projects. Vienna scores well on its advanced e-health offerings, and is the first city in the German-speaking world to offer open public data. Vienna has also introduced a standardized monitoring system for all its Smart City projects. Every single part is coordinated by the central Smart City Agency – a unit that pools technical expertise and promotes links between the city administration, research, business and industry.