The 10 cities best prepared for a ‘smart city future'
This story was originally published on Smart Cities Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Smart Cities Dive newsletter.
Atlanta beat out coastal tech havens like San Jose, California, and Boston to rank as the top U.S. city for a 'smart city future' in ProptechOS' 2025 Smart City Index.
The annual ranking is based on metrics related to each city's tech infrastructure and connectivity, sustainability and tech job market.
'Some of the benefits of scoring highly on these metrics for local citizens are that they can enjoy better public services, transport, security, economic opportunities and less air pollution,' according to ProptechOS, a software company based in Stockholm.
Atlanta climbed from 10th place in last year's index, where Seattle took the top spot.
This embedded content is not available in your region.
In the latest ranking, Atlanta scored 88 out of 100 for tech infrastructure and 82 for its tech job market, with 643 tech jobs advertised per 10,000 people, according to the study.
'Atlanta has the fourth-highest internet download and upload speeds of any major U.S. city,' ProptechOS stated. 'Relative to its population size, Atlanta also boasts the third-highest number of companies dedicated to the Internet of Things (IoT) and the fifth-highest number of artificial intelligence companies.'
Atlanta has long been on a path toward strengthening its smart city status, joining the White House's Smart Cities Initiative in 2015 and partnering with the Georgia Institute of Technology on smart city initiatives to ease traffic congestion, promote public safety and improve the city's environmental sustainability. The city's North Avenue Smart Corridor Project was recognized by the International Smart City Expo as a 'living lab for active, multi-modal traffic management through technology deployment and data analytics.'
Atlanta also met its Better Buildings Challenge goal two years ahead of schedule, reducing the city's energy consumption by 20% in 2019 and saving 1.3 billion gallons of water.
In May 2024 the city began enhancing its customer-facing digital products, including station screens and the mobile app for its Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, a project expected to wrap up this June.
While Atlanta dominated overall in the 2025 Smart City Index, San Francisco topped the list of cities with the best environmental metrics, in part due to its number and density of EV charging stations and LEED-certified green buildings. Oakland, California, scored highest on the index (98 out of 100) for its number of tech jobs, with 889 tech jobs per 10,000 people — enough tech jobs for approximately 10% of the city's population, according to the study.
The index also ranked European smart cities in 2025, awarding Paris top billing, followed by Stockholm; Amsterdam; Munich; and Lisbon, Portugal.
Ryan Kushner is an editor of American City & County, which is also under Smart Cities Dive's parent company, Informa TechTarget.
Recommended Reading
6 smart cities trends to watch in 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
BADBOX 2.0 Botnet alert: FBI warns smart TVs, digital device may have exploit
The Brief Cyber criminals are exploiting IoT devices in homes to create a botnet called BADBOX 2.0, enabling illegal online activities. Most compromised devices are manufactured in China and become infected either pre-loaded with malware or during app downloads containing hidden backdoors. The FBI advises the public to assess and disconnect suspicious IoT devices, avoid unofficial app sources, and report potential victimization to the Internet Crime Complaint Center. WASHINGTON - The Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a public alert on Thursday, cautioning Americans about cyber criminals who are exploiting internet-connected devices in homes to conduct illegal activities through a network known as the BADBOX 2.0 botnet. What we know According to the FBI, criminals are gaining unauthorized access to home networks by targeting Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as TV streaming boxes, digital projectors, digital picture frames, and aftermarket vehicle infotainment systems. Most of these compromised devices are manufactured in China and are either pre-loaded with malicious software or become infected during setup when users download apps containing hidden backdoors. Dig deeper Once compromised, these devices become part of BADBOX 2.0—a botnet comprising millions of infected systems used to access residential proxy services, often without the knowledge of consumers. The FBI noted that BADBOX 2.0 is the successor to the original BADBOX campaign, which was disrupted in 2024 after being discovered in 2023. The initial version primarily targeted Android devices compromised with backdoor malware prior to purchase. The updated campaign now also infects devices via unofficial app marketplaces. Why you should care Cyber criminals utilize these infected devices to sell or offer free access to compromised home networks, enabling a wide range of illegal online activities. The FBI listed several signs that may indicate a device is compromised, including the presence of unofficial app marketplaces, devices requiring Google Play Protect to be disabled, streaming devices advertised as "unlocked" or able to access free content, unknown or unverified device brands, Android devices that are not Play Protect certified, and unexplained or suspicious internet traffic. What you can do The FBI is urging the public to assess all IoT devices connected to their home networks and consider disconnecting any device that appears suspicious. Officials also advise consumers to avoid downloading apps from unofficial sources, keep software updated, monitor network activity, and prioritize patching any known vulnerabilities. The agency acknowledged contributions from Google, Human Security, Trend Micro, and the Shadowserver Foundation in preparing the alert. Anyone who believes they may have been a victim is urged to file a report with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at The Source The details in this article were provided by the FBI.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Backblaze Secures Credit Line to Strengthen Financial Position
Backblaze, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLZE), a specialist in cloud storage solutions, has disclosed the $20 million senior secured revolving credit facility with Citizens Bank. With a market capitalization of $318.244 million and an impressive 22% revenue growth in the past year, the company's move is directed towards improving liquidity and strengthening growth initiatives. Completed as of March 31, 2025, the launched credit line enhances the company's financial flexibility, which matches the giant's liquidity position, standing at over $50 million in cash and marketable securities. The credit facility offers borrowing capacity at an interest rate that is either associated with the adjusted Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) and an additional 3.25% margin, or an alternate base rate with a 2.25% margin. While the initial term of the loan is two years, a one-year extension option is also on the table. A data center operator working on a rack of servers, emphasizing the company's cloud services. Management has expressed great optimism about this collaboration with the bank, highlighting that the terms support the company's financial footing while keeping costs relatively low. The deal includes typical terms like financial covenants, standard clauses, and usual fees. Backblaze, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLZE), headquartered in California and founded in 2007, is a storage cloud platform. The core offerings of the company include cloud services, Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage, and Internet of Things. From individuals to organizations, the cloud powerhouse serves a wide clientele. While we acknowledge the potential of BLZE as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Arm Holdings' Power Efficiency Poised for AI and IoT Growth
Arm Holdings' ARM core strength in power-efficient chip architecture continues to secure its leadership in the mobile computing space, but its relevance is growing far beyond smartphones and tablets. Known for enabling sleek, energy-saving designs in devices from Apple AAPL, Qualcomm QCOM and Samsung, Arm's role is expanding rapidly as these tech leaders shift their focus to the next wave: artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). The company's ability to deliver high performance on minimal power makes its chips ideal for the increasingly connected, intelligent world. AI models are being embedded in everything from wearables to cloud data centers, and ARM's architecture, known for both flexibility and power thriftiness, is being adopted to meet these new demands. Apple, which already builds its M-series chips on ARM designs, continues to lean on that architecture as it deepens AI integration across devices. Qualcomm, long reliant on Arm for its Snapdragon processors, is driving AI-forward smartphones and automotive solutions. Meanwhile, Samsung not only incorporates ARM architecture in mobile and consumer electronics but is also exploring AI and IoT opportunities through its Exynos chips. These companies' reliance on Arm Holdings is not only sustained, it's intensifying. As Apple, Qualcomm, and Samsung each scale their AI capabilities and broaden their IoT strategies, they are all tethered to ARM's ability to deliver power efficiency at scale. Arm's push to further optimize its architecture for machine learning and edge computing applications keeps it well-aligned with the future needs of its top clients. In this context, ARM is no longer just the mobile chip enabler; it's becoming an indispensable AI and IoT infrastructure layer for Apple, Qualcomm and Samsung, reinforcing its strategic position in the broader tech ecosystem. The stock has surged 11% in the past three months, significantly underperforming the industry's 24% rally. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research From a valuation standpoint, ARM trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 28.31, well above the industry's 8.12. It carries a Value Score of F. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ARM's earnings has been on the decline over the past 30 days. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research ARM stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report ARM Holdings PLC Sponsored ADR (ARM) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Sign in to access your portfolio
