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NETWORK / 35 / JUNE 2016 T he number of smart city projects around the world has been growing over the past 10 years. Energy systems are invari- ably a key part of any smart city project; but to date, with a few notable exceptions, electricity and gas distribution companies have not been active or influen- tial partners in realising the UK's city energy ambitions. Instead, they have tended to sit on the sidelines while telecoms and IT companies have taken the lead. Heat networks have arguably played a more integral role, espe- cially those owned by municipal or social housing bodies. An increasing number of people believe that the future of our national energy system will be defined by decentralised generation, and multi-vector and local energy management, so it is time for network engagement with smart cities to step up a gear. Gas and power network operators should take advantage of the opportunity smart city projects offer to shape the future of urban energy systems in the UK. Doing so will enable them to understand municipal ambitions for energy management as well as the evolving social, environmental and infrastructure pressures in cities and their influence on demand. It could also enable them – pending adjustments to market structures – to proactively use city grids as local balancing assets. This feature highlights three UK cities rated as advanced on their smart city journeys by Navigant Research in its recent Smart Cities Index, and mixes insights from that report with other observations about the energy features of each city. Three cities shaping the future Which other cities have smart energy ambitions? Navigant's recent Smart City Index identified a total of 10 smart cities in the UK that it rated as leaders, contenders or challengers. Leaders: u London u Bristol contenders: u Birmingham u Glasgow u Manchester u Milton Keynes u Leeds u Peterborough challengers: u Nottingham u Sheffield Where to look for leadership in creating the urban energy systems of tomorrow SMART CITIES