// CITY_ASSESSMENT

How smart is Salford?

Salford, United Kingdom, scores 46.6% against the DC20 smart city framework in 2026 — ranked #126 of 213 cities assessed, with every finding traceable to a public source.

Smart score

46.6%

Rank

#126 / 213

Criteria present

31 / 82

Evidence coverage

54.9%

Salford's smart city score by area

Data & Digital Foundation54%

4 present · 5 partial · 3 absent · 9 not assessed

Mobility65%

8 present · 1 partial · 4 absent · 3 not assessed

Environment & Resources80%

7 present · 2 partial · 1 absent · 7 not assessed

Governance & People69%

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

Economy & Method42%

2 present · 1 partial · 3 absent · 2 not assessed

Where Salford is strong

  • Digital Inclusion & Literacy
  • Pervasive IoT Sensing
  • EV & Active-Travel Infrastructure
  • Air-Quality & Climate Monitoring
  • Integrated Multimodal Mobility (MaaS)

Where the gaps are

  • City Data Platform / Urban Data Exchange
  • Outcome Measurement & KPIs
  • Smart Traffic & Adaptive Signals
  • Smart Water & Waste
  • Open Data by Default

Evidence highlights

Pervasive IoT Sensing · Deployed sensor networks

Salford is developing a city-wide Internet of Things (IoT) network to collect data from sensors across the city, exploring its use for monitoring air quality, traffic flow, and waste management.

https://www.salford.gov.uk/your-council/digital-salford/

EV & Active-Travel Infrastructure · Protected cycle network

Salford provides traffic-free cycling and walking routes, as indicated on the official council website.

https://www.salford.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel/cycling-and-walking/traffic-free-cycling-and-walking-routes/

EV & Active-Travel Infrastructure · Pedestrian-priority / LTNs

Salford has traffic-free walking routes and is implementing Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) schemes, such as the A5063 Trafford Road improvements.

https://www.salford.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel/cycling-and-walking/traffic-free-cycling-and-walking-routes/

Air-Quality & Climate Monitoring · Air-quality monitoring network

Salford City Council conducts air quality monitoring, and data from the city is available on air quality index websites.

https://www.salford.gov.uk/pests-nuisances-pollution-and-food-hygiene/protecting-the-environment/air-quality-and-monitoring/

About this assessment

Salford was assessed against the 82 criteria of the DC20 smart city framework on 2026-07-01 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.