Edmonton and Calgary fail to make list of 'smartest' cities in the world
Alberta cities often make the cut on certain global rankings, but when it comes to the world’s “smartest” cities, Edmonton and Calgary failed to make the list.
While Edmonton was recently named a top city in North America to watch and Calgary landed in the top 100 largest cities in the world, Alberta’s two largest cities were shown no love in a recent ranking of the smartest.
Only four Canadian cities — Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa — cracked the 2026 Smart City Index from IMD, the International Institute for Management Development, which looked at 148 cities from around the world.
Laine Mitchell/Daily Hive
So, what exactly makes a city “smart”?
The index, produced by IMD’s World Competitiveness Center, looks at technology, infrastructure, economic strength, quality of life, and inclusiveness, based largely on what residents think about their city. It evaluates 148 cities across areas including health and safety, mobility, opportunities, and governance.
Each city is given an overall grade from AAA to D based on how well it performs. AAA is the highest rating, followed by AA, A, BBB, BB, B, and so on.
Toronto landed in 48th place in the 2026 Smart City Index, making a pretty significant jump from last year, when it ranked 63rd. Vancouver placed 58th, Ottawa placed 61st, and Montreal ranked 86th.
If you’re curious to see the top 20 smartest cities in the world, here’s the official ranking:
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Oslo, Norway
- Geneva, Switzerland
- London, England
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Lausanne, Switzerland
- Canberra, Australia
- Singapore
- Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Helsinki, Finland
- Seoul, South Korea
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Hamburg, Germany
- Beijing, China
- Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Munich, Germany
- Shanghai, China
To read the full index, visit IMD’s website.
With files from Natalia Buia