Smart Cities are municipalities and urban areas that are deploying connected technologies and IoT solutions to improve everything from critical infrastructure and public safety, to efficiencies in city lighting and energy usage, to better traffic flow and mobility – all of which stand to make cities better places to live, work and play while lowering their carbon footprint.

We started by assembling a smart city top 20 list before we pared it down for a range of reasons. For example, our smart cities list originally included three smart city California projects, and we wanted a better distribution across states. Additionally, we wanted to show smart cities examples portraying the full breadth of the projects and initiatives that urbran areas are rolling out today.

Most importantly, we wanted to ensure that the list represented not only ways to improve city living and urban efficiency, but that also demonstrated a commitment to the greater good, on a global scale.

After deliberation, we narrowed the list down to just 12 smart cities that are setting great examples for smart urban development, technology innovation, sustainability and social responsibility – a difficult endeavor, as many U.S. cities are working hard to set lofty goals and do their part. Smart city ranking 2020, 2021 and beyond will be an ongoing challenge, as more and more U.S. cities roll out these exciting initiatives.