Barcelona Named ‘Global Smart City – 2015’
Sustainable initiatives key to city’s success
Hampshire, 17th February 2015: Juniper Research has today revealed the top ranking smart cities globally for 2015:
- Barcelona
- New York
- London
- Nice
- Singapore
Update August 2022, see updated research and press release:
Juniper’s Smart City Rankings have been compiled following an analysis of each city’s ‘smart’ capabilities, with particular focus on their use of smart grids, smart traffic management and smart street lighting, alongside aspects such as technological capability and social cohesion, among others.
It was found that the leader, Barcelona, performed consistently well across all metrics and serves as an exciting model of success from which others can learn, bolstered by strong environmentally sustainable initiatives.
Other leading cities, such as New York and London, still require greater emphasis on implementing environmentally positive projects, despite excelling in areas such as technological capability and a willingness to engage with citizens through open data.
Global Call for Smarter Grids
Juniper’s latest report, Smart Cities: Market Forecasts, Key Technologies & Environmental Impact, has found that that smart city initiatives will generate almost $70 billion in spend annually by 2026; up from $35 billion in 2021. Much of this will focus on smart grid initiatives, which will save over 1,000 TWh of electricity in 2026; equivalent to more than 5 years of energy consumption by Greater London at present levels.
The report found that, despite substantial differences in energy market regulation and policy, there is a strong desire on a global scale to implement a ‘smarter grid’. National energy concerns, caused by emissions reduction policies, transmission line loss and grid reliability are among the numerous drivers behind the need to transition to a ‘2-way’ grid.
However, “issues such as grid cybersecurity and winning over the consumer where smart metering is concerned still need to be addressed”, added report author Steffen Sorrell. “Education is key – certainly in terms of stakeholder information sharing as well as promoting the full benefits of a smart grid beyond a vague notion of a reduction in energy bills.”
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