// CITY_ASSESSMENT
How smart is Boston?
Boston scores 86.6% against the UN ISO-aligned smart city framework in 2026 — ranked #7 of 388 cities assessed, with every finding traceable to a public source.
Smart score
86.6%
Rank
#7 / 388
Criteria present
69 / 86
Evidence coverage
93%
Boston's smart city score by area
12 present · 2 partial · 0 absent · 1 not assessed
10 present · 1 partial · 1 absent
11 present · 2 partial · 0 absent
9 present · 1 partial · 1 absent
10 present · 1 partial · 2 absent
6 present · 1 partial · 1 absent
11 present · 3 partial · 0 absent
Where Boston is strong
- ▸Open Data & Transparency
- ▸Connectivity & ICT Infrastructure
- ▸Public Transport & Real-Time Information
- ▸Smart Traffic & Electric Vehicles
- ▸Air Quality & Monitoring
Where the gaps are
- ▸Active & Shared Mobility
- ▸Water & Sanitation
- ▸Public Safety & Emergency
- ▸Innovation & Economic Development
- ▸Education & Digital Skills
Evidence highlights
Open Data & Transparency · Official open data portal
The City of Boston operates "Analyze Boston," which is described as the city's open data hub where users can explore datasets.
https://data.boston.gov/Open Data & Transparency · High-value datasets published
The City of Boston's open data hub, Analyze Boston, includes datasets categorized under "Environment," "Finance," and "Transportation." Additionally, the MBTA provides transportation-related data, including schedules, real-time information, and historical p…
https://data.boston.gov/Open Data & Transparency · Programmatic API access
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) provides a V3 API developer portal, offering programmatic access to schedule, real-time, and alert information via a JSON API, with documentation and API key requests available.
https://api-v3.mbta.com/Connectivity & ICT Infrastructure · Fibre / high-speed broadband coverage
The City of Boston's Broadband And Cable department is actively expanding the city's fiber network.
https://www.boston.gov/departments/broadband-and-cableAbout this assessment
Boston was assessed against the 86 criteria of the UN ISO-aligned smart city framework on 2026-09-03 by AI agents gathering evidence from official public sources. Each criterion is marked present, partial or absent, and every finding links to where it was found. Scores refresh continuously as cities publish new evidence.