Fifteen cities awarded for leveraging emerging technology

More than half a dozen North American cities have been recognised by the International Data Corporation (IDC) for progress they have made in executing innovative projects using new technologies.

IDC Government Insights named the 15 winners in the seventh annual Smart Cities North America Awards.

“Our annual awards showcase technology innovations and ecosystem partnerships that bring value to the public and provide a blueprint for success,” said Ruthbea Yesner, Vice President, IDC Government Insights and Smart Cities and Communities Strategies. “Congratulations to our 15 award winners who have deployed services that are impacting the public as well as public sector employees and show a continued commitment to equity, inclusion, and environmental sustainability.”

Winners include Seattle, Las Vegas and San Antonio, among others, spread over 14 categories covering administration, digital equity and accessibility, data driven policy, and more.

Seattle – Digital Equity and Accessibility 

The city’s Digital Engagement Team has been building education and awareness around digital accessibility standards and human-centred design since its inception in 2017. The cross-functional team manages products that are typically the public’s first digital interaction point, such as the Seattle.gov website, blogs, newsletters, and social media.

In addition, they established the city’s digital style guide, digital policies, and user experience (UX) strategy. They advocate for the public by ensuring that diverse needs are accounted for when designing and implementing a technology application, from internet bandwidth to language barriers, to various types of disabilities.

“Inclusive design has been a focus of our digital services for several years,” said Michal Perlstein, Senior Manager of Digital Engagement. “Our progress is most evident on the Seattle.gov website and, as the enthusiasm and adoption grows, we’re looking forward to seeing improvements across all public-facing web applications at the city.”

Las Vegas – Data Driven Policing

The City of Las Vegas’s Smart Parks Project tackles urban challenges with innovative technology, enhancing public safety, community engagement, and overall quality of life.

“City personnel can’t be everywhere, 24 hours a day,” Michael Sherwood, Chief Innovation Officer, City of Las Vegas told Cities Today in 2023. “We started looking at how we could use technology to make our community safer, increase operational efficiency and specifically decided to start with parks.”

The Smart Park Project strategically deploys advanced sensors across city parks, providing insights into park usage and fortifying public safety measures. From number plate recognition to occupancy and pedestrian analysis, gunshot detection, and strategically placed cameras, the initiative embraces a holistic approach to park management and safety. Integration of Geographic Information Systems, GPS technologies, drone mapping, and artificial intelligence adds sophistication, offering valuable insights into park usage patterns.

San Antonio – Administration

The city’s Smarter Together Initiative launched by the Office of Innovation is comprised of a community-driven framework, the Smart Cities Roadmap, a smart city testbed, the Smarter Together Testbed, and a governance model called Smart Cities as a Service that streamlines a process for prototyping emerging technologies.

“Our thoughtful and collaborative approach to implementing a smart cities programme has been a process of prototype, learn, and pivot,” said Brian Dillard, Chief Innovation Officer. “That also applies to how we work with residents and staff intended to benefit from our efforts. Our Smarter Together Initiative formalises that and exemplifies the community-driven framework that we established from the beginning.”

IDC’s Yesner added: “We are thrilled to witness the continued dedication by government and education officials and technology partners to develop smart city initiatives for smart, sustainable outcomes.”

A complete list of winners can be viewed here.

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