Sydney and Melbourne have ranked third and fourth for their engagement with citizens, in an Oracle-sponsored survey of 100 "hyperconnected" cities in 52 countries.

The ranking is published in a report titled Building a Hyperconnected City by economic and urban research consultancy ESI ThoughtLab. The study was sponsored by Oracle, Microsoft, Deloitte, General Motors and Visa, among others.

The "connected citizens" ranking indicates "how well cities engage with their key stakeholders and the methods they use to communicate and interact."

It is based on several questions, including one asking about the methods cities use for citizen engagement. The survey also asked if cities have a Chief Citizen Experience Officer (CCXO), Chief Citizen Officer (CCO) or someone in a similar role responsible for citizen engagement. And it asked whether certain groups were familiar with smart city activities.

Sydney and Melbourne trailed behind Detroit and Singapore in the citizen experience index. The Australian cities ranked ahead of New York, London, Seoul, Hong Kong, Madrid, among many others.

The report states that “hyperconnected leaders” are hiring CCXOs to be responsible for “the end-to-end experience of citizens, ensuring that city websites, call centers, and mobile apps are designed with their needs and values in mind.”

“In some cities, this entails responsibility for the experience across the urban landscape, from transportation, education, and healthcare to community events, housing, and parks and recreation,” the report stated.