Innovative Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) initiatives have seen the German capital Berlin ranked as Europe’s top smart city by Juniper Research.
Juniper judged Berlin as number one due to its focus on its transport infrastructure, such as the mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) app Jelbi, which brings together public and private transport.
Jelbi partners with Berlin’s public transport network, e-scooter, e-moped and bike sharing and car sharing services to deliver an integrated transport solution across booking, planning and payment.
The app was developed by the city’s public transport operator, BVG, the leading player in Berlin transport with over 1.2 million commuters.
Launched in June 2019, Jelbi offers booking access to 90% of the shared mobility vehicles available in the city and BVG is rolling out dedicated stations at S-Bahn and subway stations where commuters can hire, return and charge vehicles.
The Juniper researchers said Berlin had taken proactive steps on shared micromobility and renewable energy generation, demonstrating a “joined-up approach to smart city development”.
“Europe, as the birthplace of MaaS, has seen significant development and deployment of the concept over the past few years. As such, transit in leading European smart cities is a central part of future strategies for smart city development – cities aiming to follow this approach must take a coordinated method to transit, embracing the benefits of MaaS in reducing congestion,” said Juniper researcher Nick Maynard.
Juniper’s definition of a smart city is: “A place where traditional networks and services are made more efficient through the use of digital solutions for the benefit of its inhabitants and business.”
The analysis assesses transportation and infrastructure, energy and lighting, connectivity, city management and technology.
Juniper said the potential for reducing emissions is a key driver for smart city deployments in Europe. CO2e emissions saved by smart city deployments in Europe are forecast to reach 247 million metric tons (MMT) by 2028, from 161 MMT in 2023, representing growth of 53%.
Other cities in the European top five are London, Barcelona, Rome and Madrid.
In May, Juniper ranked Shanghai as the smartest city globally for the second year in a row, followed by New York, Toronto, Seoul and Shenzhen.
