SAN DIEGO, California
Population: 3,263,431
Unemployment: 5.0 percent
Top University: University of California, San Diego
Operating smarter is a civic obsession. A few examples: a national leader in electric vehicles, San Diego installed solar-to-electric charging stations around town; it also replaced thousands of street lights with LED bulbs that will save taxpayers millions; and The Port of San Diego is the first demonstration site for smart building systems that translate energy consumption into real-time data that will provide energy more efficiently and economically. A recent National Geographic documentary series called Smart Cities featured one American entry: San Diego.