Trying to find a city with specific
activities, roles or policies?
Learn about the innovation activities taking place in cities.
Explore how cities around the world are applying innovation methods to tackle their tough challenges.
Demographic changes, climate change, and the advent of new technologies will dramatically change our cities and the way we live, demanding that civic leaders adapt and operate in radically new ways.
This site identifies and shares how cities around the world are investing in innovation, to ensure they’re constantly assessing and improving how they’re tackling problems and improving the lives of residents. This map is based on an initial survey of cities in OECD and non-OECD countries. The city information reflects data gathered from the city administration at the time of the survey. You can download the report here:
Developed By
Top innovation skill sets cities are hiring into city hall
Innovation requires a diverse set of skills. Here are the types of skills cities are bringing into city hall.
- 1
Taking risks or testing new ideas
- 2
Data-driven analytics/public data management
- 3
Engaging residents in new ways
- 4
Developing new solutions based on digital technologies
- 5
Organizational change within the municipality
- 6
Human-centered design
- 7
Rethinking your city’s approach to financing partnerships
Average frequency of use for most common innovation activities
Cities are conducting seven key activities to tackle their biggest challenges.
Top policy areas cities are using innovation to tackle
Cities are applying innovation to a wide range of areas—from improving transport and mobility to enhancing the labor market.
Policy areas by number of cities
Explore all participating cities
Adelaide
Australia
1,350,000
Akron
United States
197,846
Alexandria
United States
160,035
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
862,965
Anchorage
United States
298,192
Athens
Greece
665,000
Atlanta
United States
486,290
Aurora
United States
201,110
Austin
United States
950,715
Baltimore
United States
611,648
Barcelona
Spain
1,640,000
Be'er Sheva
Israel
207,551
Bend, OR
United States
91,385
Bilbao
Spain
345,122
Bloomington, IN
United States
84,981
Bologna
Italy
392,027
Boulder
United States
107,125
Braga
Portugal
192,494
Bratislava
Slovakia
435,000
Bristol
United Kingdom
463,400
Brussels
Belgium
180,000
Buenos Aires
Argentina
2,890,000
Busan
Korea
3,500,000
Cape Town
South Africa
4,490,000
Charlotte
United States
859,035
Chattanooga
United States
180,557
Chelsea
United States
39,699
Chicago
United States
2,700,000
Cincinnati
United States
301,301
Curitiba
Brazil
1,930,000
Curridabat
Costa Rica
78,000
Dallas, TX
United States
1,320,000
Denver, CO
United States
716,492
Detroit
United States
673,104
Dublin
Ireland
554,554
Durham
United States
267,743
Edmonton
Canada
933,000
El Paso, TX
United States
649,133
Enschede
The Netherlands
159,000
Fort Collins
United States
165,080
Fort Lauderdale
United States
182,827
Fortaleza
Brazil
2,600,000
Georgetown
United States
70,685
Glendale, CA
United States
206,283
Godoy Cruz
Argentina
205,537
Gothenburg
Sweden
592,000
Granada
Spain
232,462
Grand Rapids
United States
196,455
Helsinki
Finland
653,867
Highland
United Kingdom
234,110
Hillsboro, OR
United States
103,350
Houston
United States
2,300,000
Huntington
United States
47,079
Incheon
Korea
3,021,000
Indianapolis
United States
872,680
Irving
United States
234,710
Jersey City
United States
265,549
Jerusalem
Israel
857,752
Kansas City
United States
165,288
Lansing
United States
116,986
Leipzig
Germany
600,000
Lexington
United States
321,959
Lima
Peru
9,670,000
Lisbon
Portugal
547,733
Little Rock, AR
United States
198,606
Liverpool City Region
United Kingdom
1,530,000
Ljubljana
Slovenia
279,631
London
United Kingdom
9,000,000
Long Beach
United States
480,000
Los Angeles
United States
3,990,000
Louisville
United States
616,261
Maceio
Brazil
1,010,000
Madrid
Spain
3,200,000
Manteca, CA
United States
85,000
Maribor
Slovenia
110,513
Medellin
Colombia
2,500,000
Memphis
United States
652,717
Mexico City
Mexico
8,920,000
Miami
United States
463,347
Minneapolis
United States
422,331
Mobile
United States
190,265
Montgomery, AL
United States
205,501
Montreal
Canada
2,030,000
Moscow
Russia
12,640,000
New York City
United States
8,620,000
Oakland
United States
425,195
Oklahoma City
United States
643,648
Orlando
United States
280,257
Otsu
Japan
340,973
Oulu
Finland
203,567
Palermo
Italy
680,000
Paris
France
2,200,000
Paterson
United States
147,000
Pelotas
Brazil
342,405
Peoria
United States
112,883
Philadelphia
United States
1,580,000
Pittsburgh, PA
United States
301,048
Portland, ME
United States
66,882
Providence
United States
180,393
Quillota
Chile
85,262
Reykjavik
Iceland
122,141
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil
6,320,000
Riverside
United States
327,728
Rochester
United States
208,046
Rome
Italy
2,880,000
Rosario
Argentina
995,000
Rotterdam
The Netherlands
623,654
Saint Paul
United States
306,621
Saltillo
Mexico
709,671
San Diego, CA
United States
1,430,000
San Francisco
United States
870,887
San Jose
United States
1,050,000
San Pedro Garza García
Mexico
123,156
Santiago de Chile
Chile
5,560,000
Scottsdale, AZ
United States
255,310
Seattle
United States
744,955
Seoul
Korea
9,780,000
Sintra
Portugal
377,835
Sioux Falls, SD
United States
176,888
Sofia
Bulgaria
1,560,000
South Bend
United States
102,245
Stockholm
Sweden
974,073
Syracuse
United States
143,378
São Paulo
Brazil
12,110,000
Tacoma
United States
213,418
Tallahassee, FL
United States
193,000
Tel Aviv-Yafo
Israel
429,515
Toronto
Canada
2,800,000
Tulsa
United States
403,090
Turin
Italy
886,837
Umea
Sweden
129,000
Utrecht
The Netherlands
350,000
Verona
Italy
257,993
Vienna
Austria
1,900,000
Vilnius
Lithuania
600,000
Virginia Beach
United States
450,435
Walnut Creek
United States
69,773
Wellington
New Zealand
207,900
West Hollywood, CA
United States
36,000
Westminster, CO
United States
114,000
Wichita, KS
United States
385,000
Winnipeg
Canada
753,700
Winston-Salem, NC
United States
243,447
Worcester, MA
United States
185,677