Bloomberg CityLab reports, “The city’s adoption of electric vehicles and other high-tech innovations overshadowed its reliance on private cars, ultimately earning it the top spot in a ranking of 70 global cities by the Oliver Wyman Forum, the consulting firm’s social action arm, and the University of California, Berkeley.” Each year, researchers “weigh[ ] dozens of factors like walkability, air quality and the use of zero-emission buses to come up with an Urban Mobility Readiness Index that analyzes how well people and goods can move through a city and to surrounding population centers. Other cities in the top five, including Paris, Munich and Amsterdam, saw robust public transportation systems and strong universities that collaborate successfully with the private sector. Singapore, which came in third, extended its tax rebate incentive for early EV adoption through 2025 and boasts some of the safest roads in the world, with few road fatalities and low traffic.”
“The focus on technology and innovation this year shifted the ratings in favor of US cities, which performed well despite lagging in public transit and infrastructure for bikes and pedestrians.” Besides San Francisco, New York City made the top ten, taking eighth place. Boston and Los Angeles were among the top 15 cities. LA earned some points for its preparations to host a “car-free” Summer Olympics in 2028.