Why Singapore, Zurich and Oslo are the world's 'smartest' cities

Singapore tops the annual IMD-SUTD Smart City Index (SCI) for 2021. Photo: AFP

Singapore tops the Smart City Index 2021, a ranking of the global cities most actively embracing technology, but also ecological, health and societal issues. The Asian city comes ahead of Zurich and Oslo. These are all cities that, according to their residents, have managed the Covid-19 crisis effectively, and which are also likely to become rapidly resilient.

The latest data suggests that environmental concerns are ultimately strongest in relatively wealthy cities. More broadly, access to better air quality and increased health services have become priorities since the onset of the pandemic.