Awards recognise smart city progress made by North America municipalities

Solutions that address digital equity, accessibility and civic engagement are among those recognised in the IDC Government Insights fourth annual Smart Cities North America Awards (SCNAA).

The awards aim to recognise the progress North American municipalities have made in executing smart city projects, as well as providing a forum for sharing best practices to help accelerate smart city development in the region.

Best practice

Winners in the SCNAA illustrate best practice examples of how forward-thinking municipalities are effectively leveraging technology and innovation to offer new services and economic opportunities and to meet the needs and expectations of citizens and residents.

“We are thrilled to shine a spotlight on the winners of our fourth annual SCNAA; forward-thinking municipalities underpinned by strong leadership, innovative technology, and commitment to the public that executed and sustained successful smart city initiatives amid challenging times,” said Ruthbea Yesner, vice president, IDC Government Insights and Smart Cities and Communities Strategies.

“We look forward to continuing our dedicated award programme to encourage continued innovation among smart city initiatives and usher in the next generation of thought leaders and change makers across North America.”

The following municipalities are recognised for “unprecedented progress” in creating and sustaining smart city projects across the following 11 categories:

Administration (for example, back office, digital legislating)

ePermits, Harris County Engineering Department, Harris County, Texas

Civic engagement (for example, open data, city portals, 311 apps)

Arizona State University Smart City Innovation Lab, Arizona State University, Scottsdale, Arizona

The awards aim to recognise the progress North American municipalities have made in executing smart city projects, as well as providing a forum for sharing best practices to help accelerate smart city development in the region

Digital equity and accessibility (for example, public wifi, accessibility services, ADA compliance)

Ocala Fibre Network (OFN), Ocala, Florida

Education (for example, smart campus, smart classrooms, virtual offerings, online and Remote services)

Eugene School District 4J Comprehensive Distance Learning Technology Plan, Eugene School District 4J, Eugene, Oregon

Public health and social services

Cares Housing Assistance Programme (CHAP), Clark County, Nevada

Public safety (for example, real-time crime centres, officer wearables, video analytics, next generation 911, early warning systems)

Smart City and Parks, City of Las Vegas, Nevada

Smart buildings (for example, capacity planning, return-to-work programmes, sustainability and security systems) tie between:

NYCx Co-Labs: Housing Rights Challenge, NYC Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer, New York, NY, and

EV innovation project – Colorado Smart Cities Alliance, City of Boulder, Colorado

Sustainable infrastructure (for example, smart water, smart lighting, waste collection, environmental monitoring, resiliency)

Advanced Water Metering Infrastructure, City of Santa Ana, California

Transportation (for example, connected and autonomous vehicles, public transit, ride-hailing/ride-sharing) tie between:

Automated Deficiency Reporting on Roads using AI on Municipal Vehicles, City of Markham, Ontario

Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners, Peachtree Corners, Georgia