In a recent study done by Juniper Research ranking the top five smart cities in the world, Toronto, Ont. received the bronze medal.
The market research and analysis company ranked 50 world cities based on an evaluation of many different smart city aspects, including transportation and infrastructure, energy and lighting, city management and technology, and urban connectivity.
Ahead of Canada’s largest city are Shanghai and New York in first and second places, respectively; with fourth place going to Seoul and fifth going to Shenzhen.
Toronto receives this high rank for its accessible data policies. Juniper Research says, “Toronto’s use of open data, particularly with respect to the identification and resolution of civic issues, is a key approach to making the city smarter.”
The city of Toronto has almost 450 open datasets that citizens can access, including datasets on city government, health, tourism, permits and more. Recently, the open data portal added a dataset on all the drinking fountains and public washroom facilities.
These datasets don’t stop at municipal government. The police service, public library and universities also take part in open data publication.
The Toronto open data policy states, “The Open Data Program is an enterprise information management initiative; it demonstrates the city’s commitment to better manage business information throughout the information lifecycle. Identifying and making data accessible helps to ensure that the public is informed and engaged in an open and accessible government.”
