San Francisco, CA

It's no surprise that San Francisco ranks high on the list of smart cities as the entrance to Silicon Valley and a city that attracts billions of dollars in technological investments on its own. The Global Smart City Index 2020 assigned the city a BBB rating.

Residents say it excels at providing online access to employment listings and the option to provide feedback on local government projects. Residents of San Francisco, like those of New York, Washington, D.C., and Boston, regard the city as a world leader in cultural activities.

Best smart initiative: It was actually launched in 2011, but the SFpark smart parking system deserves a mention here. Parking usage is tracked using sensors embedded in the asphalt, and the data is transmitted into smart parking meters, which adjust their pricing based on availability and time of day. The system's goal is to reduce the amount of time and fuel wasted by drivers looking for parking. During typical hours, prices range from 25c to $7 per hour, and around 15% of spaces on any given block are maintained unoccupied at all times.