// CITY_ASSESSMENT
How smart is Chicago?
Chicago scores 86.3% against the DC20 smart city framework in 2026 — ranked #12 of 213 cities assessed, with every finding traceable to a public source.
Smart score
86.3%
Rank
#12 / 213
Criteria present
66 / 82
Evidence coverage
90.2%
Chicago's smart city score by area
14 present · 2 partial · 4 absent · 1 not assessed
15 present · 1 partial · 0 absent
14 present · 1 partial · 2 absent
18 present · 2 partial · 0 absent
5 present · 2 partial · 0 absent · 1 not assessed
Where Chicago is strong
- ▸City Data Platform / Urban Data Exchange
- ▸Real-time Public Transit Intelligence
- ▸Smart Traffic & Adaptive Signals
- ▸EV & Active-Travel Infrastructure
- ▸Smart Energy & Buildings
Where the gaps are
- ▸Digital Twin
- ▸Smart Water & Waste
- ▸Interoperability & Open Standards
- ▸Air-Quality & Climate Monitoring
Evidence highlights
City Data Platform / Urban Data Exchange · Central data platform / urban OS
The City of Chicago operates an official open data portal (data.cityofchicago.org) which serves as a central platform for data from various city agencies.
https://data.cityofchicago.org/City Data Platform / Urban Data Exchange · Operational dashboards / city ops center
Chicago has an Emergency Communication Center and provides data dashboards, such as one for 911 calls for police service.
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/oemc/supp_info/chicago-emergency-communication-center.htmlCity Data Platform / Urban Data Exchange · Data sharing / exchange
Chicago facilitates data sharing through its official open data portal and provides developer resources for data access, such as for the Chicago Transit Authority and the Array of Things project.
https://data.cityofchicago.org/City Data Platform / Urban Data Exchange · Documented platform architecture
Chicago provides developer resources for its transit data and the Array of Things project, which typically include documentation on data access and integration, implying a documented platform architecture for these components.
https://www.transitchicago.com/developers/About this assessment
Chicago was assessed against the 82 criteria of the DC20 smart city framework on 2026-06-26 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 — see how smart cities are measured. Scores refresh continuously as cities publish new evidence.