// CITY_ASSESSMENT
How smart is Philadelphia?
Philadelphia scores 82.8% against the DC20 smart city framework in 2026 — ranked #24 of 213 cities assessed, with every finding traceable to a public source.
Smart score
82.8%
Rank
#24 / 213
Criteria present
62 / 82
Evidence coverage
90.2%
Philadelphia's smart city score by area
12 present · 6 partial · 3 absent
11 present · 3 partial · 0 absent · 2 not assessed
15 present · 1 partial · 1 absent
17 present · 2 partial · 1 absent
7 present · 0 partial · 1 absent
Where Philadelphia is strong
- ▸EV & Active-Travel Infrastructure
- ▸Smart Energy & Buildings
- ▸Resilience & Climate Adaptation
- ▸Citizen Engagement & Participation
- ▸Digital Inclusion & Literacy
Where the gaps are
- ▸City Data Platform / Urban Data Exchange
- ▸Digital Twin
- ▸Interoperability & Open Standards
- ▸Air-Quality & Climate Monitoring
- ▸Data Governance, Privacy & Ethics
Evidence highlights
Pervasive IoT Sensing · Deployed sensor networks
Philadelphia has deployed environmental sensor networks for air quality monitoring, as evidenced by 'AMS Latest Air Quality Sensor Readings' on OpenDataPhilly.org. The city also has real-time data for public transit (SEPTA) and smart meters as part of PECO'…
https://www.phila.gov/programs/smartcityphl/Pervasive IoT Sensing · Connected assets / smart lighting
Philadelphia has connected municipal assets in the form of smart meters, which are part of PECO's 'Smart Grid and Meter' and 'Grid Modernization' initiatives.
https://www.peco.com/smart-grid-and-meter/Pervasive IoT Sensing · Public real-time sensor feeds
Publicly available real-time sensor data feeds are present, including 'AMS Latest Air Quality Sensor Readings' on OpenDataPhilly.org and 'SEPTA GTFS Real-Time Alerts and Updates' for public transit.
https://www.opendataphilly.org/datasets/ams-latest-air-quality-sensor-readingsSmart Water & Waste · Recycling & circular economy
Philadelphia has established recycling programs and a specific "Circular Philadelphia" initiative, demonstrating engagement with circular economy principles.
https://www.phila.gov/programs/recycling-program/About this assessment
Philadelphia 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.