// CITY_ASSESSMENT

How smart is Zurich?

Zurich scores 34.2% against the UN ISO-aligned smart city framework in 2026 — ranked #134 of 213 cities assessed, with every finding traceable to a public source.

Smart score

34.2%

Rank

#134 / 213

Criteria present

22 / 86

Evidence coverage

40.7%

Zurich's smart city score by area

Data, Digital & Smart Foundation44%

3 present · 2 partial · 4 absent · 6 not assessed

Mobility & Transport93%

6 present · 1 partial · 0 absent · 5 not assessed

Environment, Energy & Climate73%

6 present · 4 partial · 1 absent · 2 not assessed

Infrastructure, Water & Waste70%

2 present · 3 partial · 0 absent · 6 not assessed

Health, Education, Safety & Inclusion25%

2 present · 0 partial · 6 absent · 5 not assessed

Economy, Innovation & Employment83%

2 present · 1 partial · 0 absent · 5 not assessed

Governance, Resilience & Operating Model50%

1 present · 2 partial · 1 absent · 10 not assessed

Where Zurich is strong

  • Public Transport & Real-Time Information
  • Green Space & Biodiversity
  • Open Data & Transparency
  • Energy & Smart Grid
  • Solid Waste & Circular Economy

Where the gaps are

  • Digital Government Services
  • Public Safety & Emergency
  • Inclusion & Civic Participation
  • Critical Infrastructure Resilience
  • Connectivity & ICT Infrastructure

Evidence highlights

Open Data & Transparency · Official open data portal

The City of Zurich operates an official Open Data Portal/Katalog at data.stadt-zuerich.ch, which serves as a central entry point for searching and using open data.

https://data.stadt-zuerich.ch/

Open Data & Transparency · Clear open licensing

Most datasets published by the City of Zurich are licensed under Creative Commons Zero (CCZero), allowing for free and commercial reuse.

https://data.stadt-zuerich.ch/dataset/vbz_fahrplandaten_gtfs

Open Data & Transparency · Programmatic API access

The City of Zurich provides documented APIs, with a GitHub repository collecting descriptions and instructions for these APIs, including the RIS-API for parliamentary information and the Zürich Tourismus API.

https://opendatazurich.github.io/

Public Transport & Real-Time Information · Public transport network

Zurich operates a public transport network, including tram and bus lines within the ZVV area, providing public transport services in the canton of Zurich.

https://data.stadt-zuerich.ch/dataset/vbz_fahrplandaten_gtfs

About this assessment

Zurich was assessed against the 86 criteria of the UN ISO-aligned smart city framework on 2026-07-06 by AI agents gathering evidence from official public sources. Each criterion is marked present, partial or absent, and every finding links to where it was found — see how smart cities are measured. Scores refresh continuously as cities publish new evidence.