Bologna, Parma and Trento. Then Florence, Milan, Genoa. They are the smartest cities in Italy, which once again splits between north and south. The ranking of the smartest cities was announced yesterday on the opening day of the Smart City Exhibition, the event underway in the Emilian capital these days.
But what is meant by smart city? A city capable of producing high technology, reducing energy consumption in buildings, promoting clean transport and improving the quality of life. The ICity rate research, carried out by Forum PA, involved 103 provincial capitals, and discovered which Italian cities are the smartest, most intelligent and therefore closest to the needs of citizens on the basis of some specific criteria: economy, environment, governance, quality of life, mobility, social capital.
Bologna, Parma and Trento are the three cities already projected towards the future, followed by Florence, Milan, Ravenna, Genoa, Reggio-Emilia, Venice and Pisa which closes the top ten. Unfortunately, the gap between north and south is once again very clear. To find the first southern-island city it is necessary to go up to the 43rd place, Cagliari, followed by Lecce (54th) and Matera (58th). Last in the standings are Caltanissetta, Crotone and Enna. Even looking only at the ten metropolitan cities, this split is evident. Bologna, Florence, Milan, Genoa, Venice and Turin are all among the top 15, Rome in 21st place, but Bari (69th), Naples (77th) and Reggio Calabria (87th) are far behind.
And here are the various categories with their respective winners.
Smart Economy: Pisa and Milan the most advanced cities. Why? The employment rate, the presence of innovative enterprises, young enterprises and women's enterprises have rewarded the two cities, together with the presence and quality of universities and research institutes, infrastructures such as roads, railways, airports, but also telematic infrastructures and tourist services.
Smart environments: Trento and Ravenna are the greenest cities for air quality, the percentage of differentiated collection of urban waste, the presence of green spaces in the city, the efficiency and quality of the water network and the presence of WEEE collection centers (waste from electrical and electronic equipment).
Smart Governance: Turin and Padua. Not only e-government, but also attention to the environment, the adoption of policies for the organization and development of the territory and the ability to network with other Municipalities.
Smart living: Siena and Trieste. Life is better here also thanks to investments in culture and welfare and through the offer of various types of services, from nursery schools to municipal libraries.
Smart mobility: Milan and Venice. Getting around here is easier with a widespread and efficient public transport network with restricted traffic areas, cycle paths, bike and car sharing services.
smart people: Bologna and Ravenna bet on citizens. In these two cities the level of education and early school leaving, but also the number of women who work and hold positions within the administration, the presence of foreign students, political participation, involvement in voluntary associations are at the top.
“The ranking, rather than considering itself a point of arrival, aims to be useful for photographing the current state, the starting point of the processes in progress – said Gianni Dominici, general manager of FORUM PA, who oversaw the research -. Using the metaphor of car racing, what we return is not the final classification but the starting grid of a race still to be run. Obviously you don't get to pole position by chance and the cities ahead in the grid are the ones that can boast of preparation, an important accumulation in the various areas considered”.
