London Tops 'Future Readiness' Ranking... Where Does Seoul Stand?

Seoul Ranks Second Among Asian Cities; Singapore Takes the Top Spot
World Smart City Organization Analyzes 102 Cities Across 75 Countries

Seoul skyline viewed from Namsan Tower. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

London, United Kingdom, was selected as the city with the highest level of future readiness, including innovation and vitality. Seoul ranked 10th, receiving high marks for innovation and human-centric qualities.

On December 2, the World Smart City Organization (WeGO), in collaboration with the Decarbonization Research Institute and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)-University of Geneva Center of Excellence on Smart Sustainable Cities (UNIGE), announced the results of the “City Future Readiness Index (CFRI)” survey.

These organizations assessed the future readiness of 102 cities in 75 countries-including 41 WeGO member cities-across eight categories and 44 indicators: human-centricity, openness, sustainability, institutions and governance, transportation and infrastructure, innovation, vitality, and e-readiness.

According to the results, London, United Kingdom, ranked first, earning high scores for financial dynamism, cultural diversity, and global influence. It was followed by San Francisco and Boston in the United States, Paris in France, New York in the United States, and Copenhagen in Denmark.

Top 10 Cities in Urban Future Readiness Index. World Smart City Organization

Among Asian countries, Singapore ranked 9th and Seoul ranked 10th. WeGO noted that Seoul demonstrated strong performance in the human-centric and innovation categories, earning the reputation of a “hybrid city.”

Additionally, the top 10 cities recorded balanced scores across the eight categories, with each city exhibiting distinct strengths.

Kim Jeonggi, Secretary General of WeGO, stated, “The CFRI presents a city vision that prioritizes human-centric digital transformation over a purely technology-driven approach,” adding, “It will serve as a practical tool that policymakers can actually use.”