What makes Zurich a Smart City role model: five questions for Mr David Weber, Head of Smart City Zurich
For the fifth time in a row, the city of Zurich has taken first place in the International Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) ‘Smart City’ index. Two other Swiss cities also made it into the top ten, with Geneva in fifth place and Lausanne in seventh. The capital cities of Oslo and Canberra, meanwhile, completed the podium in second and third place, respectively, as shown in the results of the IMD study. The top 20 was dominated by Asian and European cities and, for the first time since the index was launched in 2019, no North American city made it into the top 20. The study examined the extent to which technology helps cities provide residents with a higher quality of life, with the results providing information on the cities’ openness, innovation, inclusivity and sustainability.
This was an opportunity to speak to Mr David Weber, Head of Smart City Zurich and talk about their best practices that make them stable on the top of this list.
Mr Weber, congratulations to you and your team for successfully keeping the pole position in this index. This result must feel like a recognition for the efforts you have made towards making Zurich a sustainable, livable, and equitable city for all its residents. How would you describe your overall efforts?
Thank you very much. We are naturally delighted to have been ranked number 1 in the IMD Smart City Index for the fifth time in a row. The good result makes it clear that the city administration’s efforts to create a livable and sustainable city that focuses on the needs of its residents are being recognized. However, these rankings give the illusion of mathematically precise measurability, which is of course entertaining for the readers to read – there are small measurable differences, just like in ski racing, and a new leaderboard is published every year. There are dominant athletes, such as the city of Zurich, who always come out on top – but there are also newcomers who catapult themselves into the top ten thanks to an interesting initiative or clever marketing.
We still track our position in rankings because they provide us with valuable information on how Zurich is perceived internationally when implementing its own strategic priorities. However, the rankings themselves do not have a direct influence on strategic planning, which is developed for the longer term in view of the current challenges and is based on the City Council’s overarching Zurich 2040 strategies. Furthermore, the City Council orients its policies towards broader population groups than just those who are usually the target groups of such rankings.
As ‘SCI champion’ can you tell us what long-term strategies and short-term initiatives contribute to this admirable result?
For the City of Zurich, “smart” means connecting people, organizations and infrastructures in such a way that social, ecological and economic added value is created. We want to create the basis for developing new ideas for new opportunities and challenges. We always see future urban development as a long-term undertaking – for example with regards to the resource-conserving use of energy, the goal of net zero by 2040, transportation and housing policy. The City of Zurich has developed strategic responses to the challenges facing the city in the future. We have set them out in the “Zurich 2040 Strategies”, which were recently published. There are also topic-specific strategies such as “Net Zero 2035/2040”, “Urban Space and Mobility 2040”, and the “Smart City Strategy”.
Photo: https://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/portal/en/index/politik_u_recht/strategies-zurich-2035.html
As we at Alliance of European Mayors are advocating for collaborative leadership approach, what practices can be transferable so other cities can try to implement them?
The City Council forms the government of the City of Zurich and operates as a collegial authority. Its nine members work full-time. Each member heads a department. Responsibilities are clearly defined, but discussions on cross-departmental topics such as climate protection, mobility and housing are conducted intensively and with the involvement of the relevant specialist committees and experts. In typical Swiss fashion, this leads to solutions that will enable a compromise, are well thought out and broadly supported.
Citizen-centered and more human-centered approach to urban development overall is something that you prioritize in your city strategy. Do you track the satisfaction of your citizens and if yes tell us about the process. Also, what decision processes are open for citizen participation?
As a smart city, the city administration consistently focuses on the needs of the people – the more than 400,000 residents, the businesses in our city and, of course, the almost 30,000 employees of the city administration. All city offers and services are developed and adapted in such a way that the users are at the center from the very beginning.
In order to measure the progress and success of our efforts, Zurich Urban Development has been conducting an annual population survey since 1999. A random sample of people who have lived in the city for at least one year and are at least 18 years old are surveyed. The questionnaire always contains a constant section that makes it possible to map developments and draw comparisons. A variable part of the questionnaire is dedicated to one or two focus topics.
In the city of Zurich, there are also many opportunities to participate in the shaping and development of the city. In addition to political participation in the form of votes, this also takes place, for example, via the e-participation platform “Mitwirken an Zürichs Zukunft”, the central portal for urban participation processes. This gives stakeholder groups the opportunity to actively participate in planning, construction projects or special topics.
What are the key areas you think every city can and should improve easily to provide the fastest noticeable benefit for its citizens? On the other hand, what long-term efforts and investments are barely visible in the short term but you think have the potential to bring the most benefits in the long run?
Every city can quickly improve areas such as public transportation, waste management, and digital services to provide immediate benefits. Enhancing public transportation with smart scheduling and real-time updates can significantly improve mobility and reduce congestion. Implementing reliable waste management systems can lead to cleaner streets and more efficient resource use. Expanding digital services, such as e-governance platforms, can make public services more accessible and efficient.
In the long term, investments in sustainable infrastructure, such as green buildings and renewable energy sources, are crucial. These efforts might not yield immediate visible results but have the potential to drastically reduce a city’s carbon footprint and ensure long-term sustainability. Additionally, investing in education and digital literacy programs will empower citizens to participate fully in the digital economy, fostering innovation and economic growth for years to come.
Photo: https://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/portal/en/index/politik_u_recht/strategies-zurich-2035.html
