The 2017 Smart Cities Index, produced by EasyPark Group, has listed Singapore as the second smartest city in the world. Other Asian countries share top spots in the rankings, with Tokyo, Taipei, Seoul, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi and Mumbai also on the list. Copenhagen ranked number one in the world.
Singapore’s ranking is due to the city’s efforts in urban planning, business ecosystem, internet quality and efforts toward clean energy. Singapore is consistently being recognised for its business-friendly reputation and efforts to drive smart infrastructure.
Sustainable development played a large part in the rankings, specifically investment into clean energy, along with determinants such as mobile penetration, smart parking and digital access.
It has been suggested that Asia will lead smart city development globally, with China having recently announced that 500 of its cities would become smart. According to Economic Information Daily, it is expected these cities will start their “smart-city” transformations during 2017.
China daily reports that “a total of 290 cities have initiated smart-city pilot projects, and more than 300 cities have signed smart-city construction agreements with IT companies, including the three major Chinese telecommunications companies.
The report continues saying “The Shanghai-Hangzhou-Ningbo Highway has become China’s first “internet highway,” based on its cooperation with mobile payment service provider Alipay and China Guangfa Bank. With more than 40,000 vehicles streaming across the highway every day, it takes a long time for drivers to pay tolls. Through smart-city applications like mobile payments, the time consumed paying toll fees has been greatly reduced.”
