CITYMIRROR

BY DATACORRIDOR

City assessment

How smart is Leicester?

Leicester, United Kingdom, scores 76.1% against the ISO 37120-series aligned smart city framework in 2026, ranked #106 of 386 by smart reach and #88 on the evidence alone, with every finding traceable to a public source.

Each criterion counts in full where the evidence shows it present, half where partial and nothing where absent, weighted by its category. 6 of 86 are not yet assessed and count as nothing until a finding is made either way. Last assessed 24 Oct 2026.

Smart reach rank

#106 / 386

Smart score

76.1%

Evidenced rank

#88 / 387

Criteria present

58 / 86

Evidence coverage

86%

Leicester's smart city score by area

Data, Digital & Smart Foundation70%

9 present · 3 partial · 1 absent · 2 not yet assessed

Mobility & Transport68%

6 present · 4 partial · 0 absent · 2 not yet assessed

Environment, Energy & Climate75%

9 present · 2 partial · 1 absent · 1 not yet assessed

Infrastructure, Water & Waste62%

5 present · 4 partial · 2 absent

Health, Education, Safety & Inclusion89%

11 present · 1 partial · 1 absent

Economy, Innovation & Employment85%

7 present · 0 partial · 1 absent

Governance, Resilience & Operating Model86%

11 present · 2 partial · 0 absent · 1 not yet assessed

Where Leicester is strong

  • ▸Digital Government Services
  • ▸Public Transport & Real-Time Information
  • ▸Green Space & Biodiversity
  • ▸Health & Digital Health
  • ▸Education & Digital Skills

Where the evidence shows gaps

  • ▸Water & Sanitation · 2 absent, 1 partial
  • ▸Climate Action & Emissions · 1 absent, 1 partial
  • ▸Open Data & Transparency · 1 absent, 1 partial
  • ▸Smart Traffic & Electric Vehicles · 3 partial
  • ▸Inclusion & Civic Participation · 1 absent

Not yet assessed

6 of 86 criteria have no finding yet, either way. They count as nothing in the score until one is made, and they are not gaps.

  • Active & Shared Mobility2 of 4
  • Connectivity & ICT Infrastructure2 of 4
  • Energy & Smart Grid1 of 4
  • Governance & Smart-City Operating Model1 of 4

Evidence highlights

Urban Data Platform & Digital Twin · Integrated urban data platform

The Leicester Urban Observatory serves as a shared platform for urban practitioners at Leicester City Council and academics from three local universities, providing a space for discussing urban issues and sharing expertise and resources.

https://leicesterurbanobservatory.org/

Smart Traffic & Electric Vehicles · EV charging network

Leicester has a network of public electric vehicle charging points, with PlugShare listing 122 stations and Leicester City Council stating there are around 150 public charging points available across the city at council and other car parks. Various sources …

https://www.leics.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/electric-vehicles-ev

Air Quality & Monitoring · Real-time air-quality data

Leicester provides open air quality data, including hourly mean nitrogen dioxide levels and annual mean PM10 levels, through its 'Leicester Open Data' portal.

https://data.leicester.gov.uk/explore/dataset/air-quality-nitrogen-dioxide-hourly-mean/information/

Climate Action & Emissions · Climate action plan

Leicester City Council adopted a "Climate Ready Leicester Plan" on September 5, 2024, which outlines its updated strategy for responding to the climate emergency and working towards net-zero carbon emissions.

https://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council/policies-plans-and-strategies/environment-and-sustainability/climate-emergency/

Funding Leicester can bid for

63 open calls: grants, tenders and innovation competitions Leicester is eligible for, including UK-wide schemes any place can apply to. Every entry links to its source.

Showing 12 of 63; see them all in the explorer.

About this assessment

Leicester was assessed against the 86 criteria of the ISO 37120-series aligned smart city framework on 24 Oct 2026 by AI agents gathering evidence from official public sources. Each criterion is marked present, partial or absent, or left not yet assessed, and every finding links to where it was found. Cities are re-assessed in runs, not continuously: the latest finished on 24 Oct 2026.

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