Skip to content
‹ Back to IndustriesIndustrial IoT

The Top Smart Cities In The World

People are closer to each other than ever before. Now, any two people with a smart phone can see each others faces through their devices in a matter of seconds. It is only natural then, that the environments that people live in would become more connected. Smart cities are coming to fruition quickly, and some…

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Industrial IoT teams put it to work with AI Visibility (GEO).

By Zach Werblo · ·
Share
The Top Smart Cities In The World

Key takeaways

01

People are closer to each other than ever before.

02

Now, any two people with a smart phone can see each others faces through their devices in a matter of seconds.

03

It is only natural then, that the environments that people live in would become more connected.

Free workspace

Turn your Industrial IoT expertise into content.

Record interviews, organize footage, and write with AI on a free trial of the MarketScale platform for qualifying companies. No demo required, no credit card.

Try it Free

People are closer to each other than ever before. Now, any two people with a smart phone can see each others faces through their devices in a matter of seconds. It is only natural then, that the environments that people live in would become more connected.

Smart cities are coming to fruition quickly, and some are already well on their way to bringing their data, services, and security operations together in one place. We highlighted metropolitan areas that have taken the first steps in the race to automate and their residents will be happy to see their cities on our list.

Boston is one of the top cities for business ecosystems, internet speed, and expert perception on how the city is becoming smarter.

Smart cities are the latest urban phenomenon driving us towards beautiful and sustainable communities, designed to improve the lives of people who live and work in these areas.
Read more about Boston, MA’s latest project here: https://t.co/YsuzGWbYw1 #Sustainability pic.twitter.com/eWnJwA5Ftg
— Specifi (@SpecifiDay) July 25, 2018

Seoul is about to host 5G networks and is on of the worlds leaders in using smart technology in transportation. 

Learn how Seoul is making improvements to their green tech, smart shopping, and public safety through their smart city tech https://t.co/bwjbf78lNp pic.twitter.com/cwtfvzzID8
— Consumer Technology Association (@CTATech) July 30, 2018

50 percent of Vienna is green space

https://twitter.com/SiemensBT/status/978918557936422912

Amsterdam was voted Europe’s Capitol of Innovation

https://twitter.com/NLintheUSA/status/1023678299774623744

Tokyo has ranked very high in smart parking, WiFi hotspots, and has been made a “green island” 

The #Tokyo business camp is about to complete its 2 months with a final Public event around the 16th of this month, where all attendees will be pitching their solutions to the public! #Tokyo wants to be the epitome of a #smartcity. #Japan #IOTA #IoT @DomSchiener @DavidSonstebo pic.twitter.com/0cbDaDI5pc
— IOTA News (@iotatokennews) March 12, 2018

Stockholm has been named Europe’s Green Capitol on several occasions and was the firs city to introduce 4G/LTE mobile services 

What makes Stockholm a Super #SmartCity? https://t.co/Ebr5WXqztb #SmartCities #SmartMobility #IoT #BigData #Tech #Transport pic.twitter.com/zWFPtRF0nJ
— R4Eproject (@roadmaps4energy) July 4, 2017

Paris is another major city utilizing green and renewable energy, with a large portion of the city’s public transportation running on clean fuel. There are even rumors on electric cars. 

French companies partner to create ‘smart city of the future’ in Parishttps://t.co/Zp48clYMoq pic.twitter.com/CyMuQ6r9BA
— Smart Cities World Forums (@smartcwf) July 26, 2018

San Francisco’s city grid runs on 41 percent renewable energy. They are a leader in internet speeds and smart parking. 

How to make a better smart city !https://t.co/Un7EoBc5nB#SanFrancisco #startup #IoT #hongkong #NewYork #bigdata #london #cloud #google pic.twitter.com/mQvy48qiYF
— Moduware (@moduwareinc) September 25, 2016

New York City was ranked the smartest city in 2017, they have strategically placed smart screens throughout the region for reporting news, events, and even offer coupons. They are also developing smart hubs,innovative economies, internet speed, and WiFi hotspots. 

Smart Assist doesn't stop travelling: last week Paris, today New York City, tomorrow Madrid and thursday Barcelona! pic.twitter.com/2PvFzo5Idd
— Ovide Smart (@OvideSmart) February 26, 2013

Soon travel, communication, security and information will all be streamlined seamlessly into everyday city living. These hubs will be test cases for the rest of the world as it becomes an even more connected place with the help of technology and a human desire for efficiency

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the IoT Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @IOTMKSL

Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale

LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Industrial IoT starts with a company putting its controls engineers, plant-floor specialists, and integration partners on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Plant and controls buyers research deep before contact, and your engineers get to shape that research.

Book DemoSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.

About the author

Zach Werblo
Zach WerbloDirector, Platform, BMS CAT
B2B Weekly

The week in Industrial IoT, and sixteen other industries, every Monday.

Ten stories, one-line takes, five minutes. Free.

Industrial IoT: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Industrial IoT buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. Explore how your experts, customers, and partners can become useful content for buyers and AI search.

Free Trial

You just read one Industrial IoT expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your controls engineers, plant-floor specialists, and integration partners into the articles, video, and social content Industrial IoT buyers are searching for. Start a free trial and see it with your own people. For qualifying companies, no credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What your free trial includes

Hands-on access to the MarketScale platform
Media requests to your crowd, remote recording, AI writing tools
No demo required. No credit card.
For qualifying companies. Company confirmation required.

More Industrial IoT Insights

Arch Systems brings full factory AI to FedRAMP High via Knox

Arch Systems brings full factory AI to FedRAMP High via Knox

Arch Systems' factory AI platform, including its Data Foundation and AI agents, can now run inside Knox Systems' FedRAMP High cloud for defense manufacturers. Controlled data can flow in. Arch previously served defense plants only at the edge, so buyers now need to vet Knox's shared-responsibility terms and how new AI agents enter the authorized boundary.

  • 01Arch has worked in defense plants for years, but only at the edge; the Knox deal opens the layer that ties machine data to MES and ERP records, and lets controlled data flow into it.
  • 02Knox’s FedRAMP High (Class D) boundary lets Arch run without its own standalone authorization, and Knox’s marketplace listing says hosted apps inherit a substantial portion of required security controls.
  • 03Before signing, ask how Knox's Shared Responsibility Matrix maps to a manufacturer rather than an agency, and how new AI agents get added inside a continuously monitored boundary.

Nov 14, 2026

Rockwell’s PanelView Pro targets HMI upgrades that keep FactoryTalk View ME apps

Rockwell’s PanelView Pro targets HMI upgrades that keep FactoryTalk View ME apps

Rockwell Automation's PanelView Pro, with availability beginning in the fourth quarter of calendar 2026, runs existing FactoryTalk View ME applications and shares cutouts with PanelView Plus 7 Performance terminals. For those sites, the HMI upgrade starts to look like a hardware swap. Separate display and logic modules also change how plants stock spares, and more configurations follow through 2027.

  • 01For a plant on PanelView Plus 7 Performance terminals, the pitch is that the panel cutout stays, the FactoryTalk View ME application stays, and future repairs happen one module at a time.
  • 02Plant standards for the new terminal are worth writing around what ships in Q4 2026, since additional modules and configurations keep arriving through 2027.
  • 03The easy migration path is a path to staying on Rockwell's FactoryTalk platform; plants already planning to leave FactoryTalk View ME won't see the reuse savings.

Nov 14, 2026

BMW's 1,700 new ABB robots share one controller in Munich and Tiexi

BMW's 1,700 new ABB robots share one controller in Munich and Tiexi

More than 1,700 ABB robots are going into BMW body shops in Munich and Tiexi, China, to weld, glue, rivet and assemble Neue Klasse car bodies, with every unit on ABB’s OmniCore controller. The order spans three models across two related families that share components and a common footprint, which ABB says supports flexible installation and changeouts. ABB’s "up to 20%" controller claim and "up to 30%" robot-family claim use different baselines and shouldn’t be treated as the same number.

  • 01ABB's up to 20% energy figure compares OmniCore with its predecessor controller. The up to 30% figure for the IRB 7710/7720 family already includes that controller regeneration, so the two shouldn't be added together in a business case.
  • 02For plants that move stations between payload classes, a shared footprint and standardized components across robot sizes belong on the spec sheet next to payload and reach.

Nov 13, 2026

Explore More Industrial IoT Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Industrial IoT.

Browse Industrial IoT Hub

About the Expert

Zach Werblo
Zach Werblo

Director, Platform

BMS CAT

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Industrial IoT and beyond.

Book a Demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512