Only One American Metropolis Made The List Of The World's Top 10 'Smart Cities' For 2025

SG Analytics (SGA), a global data solutions firm, has published a 2024 report of the world's top "100 Smart Cities in the World" for 2025. While the complete list of 100 cities included nine in the United States, only one American city actually made the top 10. Surprisingly, it wasn't San Francisco — which has a car-free coastal park with oceanfront charm — nor Los Angeles, where an underrated neighborhood offers a haven of walkable streets and creative energy.

Instead, New York City was actually found to be America's top smart city, and one of the world's top 10, according to SGA's data and strict judging criteria. Specifically, the report highlighted the NYC's commitment to smart grid tech, as well as its Internet of Things (IoT) traffic management and electric transportation as core reasons for the decision. These initiatives all align with SGA's definition of a smart city, which incorporates innovative tech (e.g. AI and IoT) to better manage energy, environmental, and public infrastructure more sustainably.

To land on their top picks, SGA looked at multiple criteria when judging cities around the world on their adoption of tech, environmental, and public welfare initiatives. These included reducing energy expenditure through tech or green initiatives, providing quality public services (e.g. telehealth), and running mass transit or electric transport options. The criteria also focused on the organization of tech resources, such as public data sharing, as well as how well a city embraces environmental sustainability.

There are numerous reasons why smart cities are integral for the world, especially as we continue to experience the effects of climate change and people increasingly move to urban environments. In fact, more than four billion people (over half the world's population) now live in urban areas, which means there's a need for cities to adapt intelligently so they can provide greater livability. And smart cities are attempting to do this by adding more economical support, improving citizen safety, raising the quality of life, and developing in a smart and sustainable manner.

When it comes to New York City, there are numerous goals in place that align with these global ambitions. The city is already doing the work to have zero-emission electric school buses by 2035, and 20% of new vehicle registrations as EVs by 2050. The city's mayor, Eric Adams, has also told Uber and Lyft to have only zero-emission vehicles by 2030.

The other eight American cities that made the top 100 list include, in no particular order: Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, and Dallas. Outside of the U.S., the top 10 list also included Singapore, Dubai, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Zurich, Barcelona, London, and Amsterdam. Some of the commendations from these other top-10 cities were green buildings, live traffic monitoring, and self-driving vehicles. And if all this talk about smart cities has piqued your interest in visiting destinations promoting greener experiences, it might be time to plan a trip and check out France's "Green City," which boasts a unique combination of German and French culture.