KL now 73rd ‘smartest city’ in the world

KUALA LUMPUR: Th city here has climbed 16 spots to become the world’s 73rd “smartest city” out of 142, according to the 2024 Smart City Index (SCI).

The report was released by the Institute for Management Development Smart City Observatory recently.

According to Bernama, the report highlighted several commendable achievements by Kuala Lumpur, including the ease of purchasing tickets online and accessibility of online job listings that make it easier to find work.

The report also commended the city’s health and safety structure, highlighting that “arranging medical appointments online has improved access” while “online scheduling and ticket sales have made public transport easier to use”. However, the report found that traffic congestion, corruption, air pollution and affordable housing were among the issues of most concern.

Smart City Observatory president Bruno Lanvin said cities must design and adopt strategies to resist the test of a future plagued with growing uncertainties. He also said trust and good governance are growing in importance, and the significance of artificial intelligence (AI) in city design and management is set to increase.

“Counter-intuitive as it may sound, AI can help cities to become more human-centric,” he said in a statement published on the IMD Business School website.

Zurich retained the top spot for the fifth consecutive edition of the SCI in 2024, followed by Oslo, Canberra, Geneva and Singapore.