Zurich remains at the top of the IMD Smart City Index

(CONNECT) Zurich is also in the top spot in the seventh edition of the IMD Smart City Index. Oslo is listed in second place ahead of Geneva, which, according to a press release, is in third place again this year. Lausanne improved by three places compared to 2025, reaching 7th place. The World Competitiveness Center(WCC) of the IMD Business School surveyed citizens in a total of 148 cities for the index.

As the index showed, citizens also rate the quality of their city according to its political transparency and opportunities for participation. "Smartness" therefore not only concerns the introduction of the latest technologies, but also a stronger perception of good urban management and the realization of digital services. According to the press release, cities in which people feel that they are listened to perform significantly better.

"The most advanced urban centers where citizens feel happiest are not necessarily those characterized by utopian skylines, visible sensor networks or pure technological sophistication," Arturo Bris, Director of the WCC, is quoted as saying in the press release. "They are characterized by how effectively they align governance structures, sustainability priorities, public investment decisions and, perhaps most importantly, citizen trust."

London, Copenhagen and Dubai ranked fourth to sixth behind Zurich, Oslo and Geneva. Canberra, Singapore and Abu Dhabi complete the top 10 behind Lausanne. ce/ww