Thanks to digitalisation, networking, participation and efficiency, a smart city can contribute to a higher quality of life and sustainability – this is the message of the majority of Swiss cities surveyed by Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) for a study on the smart city concept.
The ZHAW’s first Swiss Smart City Survey was supported by a range of partners, with 84 Swiss cities and municipalities taking part. According to the results, more than half of the participants rate the topic of smart cities as important or very important and are actively engaged with it. However, by the end of 2020 only 23 cities had developed a smart city strategy – a number that will increase in the coming years, according to ZHAW. Seven cities currently have a strategy under development.
The ZHAW used an index with nine dimensions to study the development of smart cities. A total of 329 existing projects were named by participating cities in all these dimensions. With 98 projects, the most important area among the participating cities is Smart Governance. Projects like city apps and chatbots, for example, facilitate access to information that is relevant to local administrations. The category also covers digital building permits and e-move, which enables people to register their move digitally.
Furthermore, 76 projects were assigned to the Smart Energy and Environment area, with one frequently mentioned project being the certification as an “EnergieStadt”. Many other projects focus on supporting renewable energy and protecting resources, while smart grids and lighting are important in lots of cities.
Smart city projects are predominantly initiated within the administration, by energy suppliers or politics, according to ZHAW. When developing projects, cities tend to orientate themselves by other cities both at home and abroad. Many of them would like to see further support, especially from the federal government and the cantons.
