London takes title of world's most innovative city

London took the top spot in the global ranking for most innovative cities. (IakovKalinin/Istock.com)

A new ranking has named London the world's most innovative city, after analyzing cities on their potential for creation and implementation of new ideas.

In the 10th edition of Melbourne-based outfit 2thinknow's "Innovation Cities Index 2016-2017," the British capital outperformed 500 cities on the list for the second year in a row.

"London's clear repeat victory indicates a strong view of innovation and focus on observation of democracy, in embracing the results of 'Brexit,' said director of data Christopher Hire in a statement.

That means demonstrating an orderly acceptance of the results and presenting their signature "stiff upper lip" to the unprecedented change, Hire added.

For the index, cities are classified in four categories: nexus, hub, node and upstart.

The top-ranked cities demonstrate strong cultural assets such as designers, art galleries, museums and sports facilities, and the human infrastructure required to implement innovation, such as a strong public transportation system, universities, business, technology and venture capital.

Analysts also looked at a third category, called networked markets, which considered the city's location, military, and economy.

The results differ from another index that ranked the smartest cities in the world published last year, which placed Montreal at the top of the heap. Analysts cited a dynamic creative hub -- think Cirque du Soleil -- and a powerful gaming industry as just a few reasons for their choice.

Here are the top 10 cities on the "Innovation Cities" index:

1. London

2. New York

3. Tokyo

4. San Francisco

5. Boston

6. Los Angeles

7. Singapore

8. Toronto

9. Paris

10. Vienna