KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur (KL) has climbed 16 spots to become the world’s 73rd smartest city out of 142 cities, according to the 2024 Smart City Index (SCI) released by the Institute for Management Development (IMD) Smart City Observatory recently.

       Last year, KL was ranked 89th.

       The report highlighted several commendable performances of KL, including the ease of online purchasing of tickets and accessibility of online job listings that make it easier to find work.

       The report also commended the city's health and safety structure, such as "arranging medical appointments online has improved access”, and mobility structures like "online scheduling and ticket sales have made public transport easier to use”.

       However, the report found that traffic congestion, corruption, air pollution and affordable housing were among the most concerning issues in KL.

       Smart City Observatory president Bruno Lanvin said cities must design and adopt strategies to resist the test of a future plagued with growing uncertainties.

       He also said trust and good governance are growing in importance, and the significance of artificial intelligence (AI) in city design and management is set to increase.

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       "Counterintuitive as it may sound, AI can help cities to become more human-centric,” he said in a statement published on the IMD website.

       Zurich retained the top spot for the fifth consecutive edition of the SCI in 2024, followed by Oslo, Canberra, Geneva and Singapore. - Bernama