// CITY_ASSESSMENT

How smart is Newark?

Newark scores 50.1% against the UN ISO-aligned smart city framework in 2026 — ranked #180 of 386 cities assessed, with every finding traceable to a public source.

Smart score

50.1%

Rank

#180 / 386

Criteria present

31 / 86

Evidence coverage

66.3%

Newark's smart city score by area

Data, Digital & Smart Foundation63%

2 present · 6 partial · 0 absent · 7 not assessed

Mobility & Transport75%

4 present · 4 partial · 0 absent · 4 not assessed

Environment, Energy & Climate81%

5 present · 3 partial · 0 absent · 5 not assessed

Infrastructure, Water & Waste50%

4 present · 2 partial · 4 absent · 1 not assessed

Health, Education, Safety & Inclusion65%

5 present · 3 partial · 2 absent · 3 not assessed

Economy, Innovation & Employment81%

5 present · 3 partial · 0 absent

Governance, Resilience & Operating Model77%

6 present · 5 partial · 0 absent · 3 not assessed

Where Newark is strong

  • Climate Adaptation & Heat
  • Innovation & Economic Development
  • Urban Data Platform & Digital Twin
  • Health & Digital Health
  • Culture, Tourism & Recreation

Where the gaps are

  • Inclusion & Civic Participation
  • Critical Infrastructure Resilience
  • Open Data & Transparency
  • Water & Sanitation
  • Air Quality & Monitoring

Evidence highlights

Urban Data Platform & Digital Twin · 3D digital twin / city model

A project led by NJIT's Center for Building Knowledge created digital twins and immersive 3D models of over 100 buildings managed by the Newark Board of Education, using Autodesk Revit for strategic capital renovation decisions.

https://news.njit.edu/digital-twin-database-makes-singular-difference

Public Transport & Real-Time Information · Public transport network

Newark is served by a public transport network including Newark Light Rail and numerous NJ Transit bus routes, such as '1 Newark' and '5 Kinney'. The PATH train also provides service to New York and New Jersey.

https://www.panynj.gov/path/en/index.html

Public Transport & Real-Time Information · Integrated / contactless ticketing

NJ TRANSIT offers a 'Tap & Ride' system, indicating contactless fare payment options for public transportation.

https://www.njtransit.com/tap

Climate Action & Emissions · Climate action plan

The Office of Sustainability, Resilience, and Community Transformation in Newark is dedicated to advancing the goals outlined in the city's Sustainability Action Plan, which was established in 2013.

https://www.newarknj.gov/departments/sustainability

About this assessment

Newark was assessed against the 86 criteria of the UN ISO-aligned smart city framework on 2026-07-10 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.