// CITY_ASSESSMENT
How smart is Chicago?
Chicago scores 53.7% against the UN ISO-aligned smart city framework in 2026 — ranked #51 of 213 cities assessed, with every finding traceable to a public source.
Smart score
53.7%
Rank
#51 / 213
Criteria present
30 / 86
Evidence coverage
73.3%
Chicago's smart city score by area
6 present · 6 partial · 0 absent · 3 not assessed
5 present · 2 partial · 3 absent · 2 not assessed
3 present · 6 partial · 0 absent · 4 not assessed
3 present · 5 partial · 0 absent · 3 not assessed
5 present · 5 partial · 1 absent · 2 not assessed
5 present · 0 partial · 1 absent · 2 not assessed
3 present · 9 partial · 0 absent · 2 not assessed
Where Chicago is strong
- ▸Food Security & Urban Agriculture
- ▸Urban Data Platform & Digital Twin
- ▸Air Quality & Monitoring
- ▸Housing & Urban Planning
- ▸Open Data & Transparency
Where the gaps are
- ▸Smart Traffic & Electric Vehicles
- ▸Climate Action & Emissions
- ▸Green Space & Biodiversity
- ▸Digital Government Services
- ▸Energy & Smart Grid
Evidence highlights
Urban Data Platform & Digital Twin · Live city data dashboard
The City of Chicago has a "Socioeconomic and City Data Comparison Dashboard" that integrates U.S. Census and City of Chicago data, including 911 calls, to analyze demographic and socioeconomic landscapes and service delivery. Additionally, a "City Services …
https://igchicago.org/data-dashboards/socioeconomic-and-city-data-comparison-dashboard/Urban Data Platform & Digital Twin · Integrated urban data platform
The City of Chicago operates a data portal and has dashboards that integrate various "City of Chicago data," such as 911 calls, zoning information, and other city services, to provide comprehensive insights into socioeconomic conditions and service delivery.
https://data.cityofchicago.org/Public Transport & Real-Time Information · Public transport network
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates the nation's second largest public transportation system, covering the City of Chicago and 40 surrounding suburbs, with information available for bus and train services.
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/other/provdrs/cta.htmlPublic Transport & Real-Time Information · Integrated / contactless ticketing
Chicago uses Ventra as its fare system, allowing passengers to pay for CTA and Pace buses with Ventra Cards, disposable Ventra Tickets, contactless bankcards, or mobile wallet apps. The Ventra app also allows purchasing Metra tickets.
https://www.transitchicago.com/ventra/About this assessment
Chicago 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.