Our capital has proudly pioneered the way for centuries and as one of the first cities to truly embrace The Industrial Revolution, it makes sense that once again we’re at the helm of the next evolution of our great cityscape.

Within the next 10 years, it’s estimated that there will be at least 88 smart cities around the world and with billions of pounds of investment, London is looking like it could once again lead the way.

A smart city helps create a more efficient atmosphere with the aim of improving the lives of everyone who lives there. A recent example of this would be the driverless tubes and while there are opponents, it shows just how smart London is becoming.

London has already begun its transformation into a smart city. For example, to tackle the grim congestion that plagues all our commutes, the city uses smart traffic technology to prioritise public transport at traffic lights. To top all this off, the capital has committed a whopping £4 billion investment into developing the smart road project, £200 million of which will focus on the bus network.

According to a report published by Juniper Research, London is the UK’s biggest and best smart city. The main contributions to London’s top ranking were its outstanding performance in using innovative technology to promote public safety.

London comfortably beat competition from the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, who have also made exciting innovations with smart city technology, such as integrating traffic systems with emergency services.

Sadiq Khan has spoken about the plans and wants to source the technology being developed right here in London. The Mayor of London was quoted at London Tech Week saying:

"My ambition now is to harness the new technologies that are being pioneered right here to transform London into the world’s leading smart city".

The plans to turn London into a smart city are great news for landlords across the capital as an even stronger infrastructure continues to bring our impressive city closer together. As investment is poured into bringing London to forefront of smart city technology, congestion around the city can eventually be eased, alongside this public transport can run even more efficiently with more breathing room during your morning commute.

With so much investment, London presents a wonderful investment opportunity in some of its property. The capital’s housing market already offers lucrative profits for those willing to spend some money and as the city develops, property prices will only continue to reflect this.

Walking through London, we may not notice the amazing innovation all around us. However, even the streetlights are currently utilising smart technology as the city continues to help us get from A to B quicker and safer.