The smartest cities in the US have been formally announced following weeks of public voting in a survey conducted by IDC Government Insights. Over 3,000 votes were cast in the inaugural IDC Smart Cities North America. (SCNAA)
Kansas City was recognized for its outstanding civic engagement, whilst Miami drew acclaim for its approach to smart buildings. In addition, the sustainable infrastructure projects in Virginia Beach were also recognized by the SCNAA.
The new smart city awards have been specifically designed to highlight the progressive measures many cities are implementing across North America as part of their efforts to make their respective cities 'smart'.
It also provides a forum and platform for cities to share their expertise and best practices in order to help accelerate smart city development in the region. The cities can showcase and outline the best practices it has executed in relation to urban innovation that has a particular focus on the use of cloud, platforms, analytics, Internet of Things, mobile solutions and data, unique partnerships, funding models and/or community involvement.
Vice president, IDC Government Insights: Smart Cities Strategies, Ruthbea Yesner, said the awards can be used as a catalyst to prompt cities to commence smart city projects that can transform their cities.
She said, "The overwhelming positive response to our inaugural Smart Cities North America Awards has been encouraging as winners represent the most innovative smart city projects, implemented across the country, designed to improve our cities for the betterment of its citizens. We are thrilled to promote their success and offer a forum for this community to share best practices and lessons learned as government officials look to replicate similar projects in their own municipalities."
IDC Government Insights assists government policy, program, and IT leaders, as well as the suppliers who serve them, in making more effective technology decisions with research and consulting services.
Winners were named in 14 categories and there was a tie in both the education and sustainable infrastructure categories. Winners will be honored at the Smart Cities New York event on 8-10 May at Manhattan's Pier 36.
The winners are outlined below:
Administration
Arlington, TX
Civic engagement
Kansas City, MO
Connected & autonomous vehicles, public transit, ride-hailing, ride-sharing
Ann Arbor, MI
Digital equity and accessibility
Transit Wireless - New York, NY
Education
Abilene Christian University Campus, Abilene, TX
State of Arkansas
Emergency management
El Paso, TX
Police and law enforcement
Baton Rouge, LA
Public health and social services
Boston, MA
Smart buildings
Miami - Dade County, FL
Smart water
Virginia Beach, VA
Sustainable infrastructure
Spokane, WA
San Diego, CA
Tourism, arts, libraries, culture, open spaces
Little Rock, AR
Transportation infrastructure
Detroit, MI
Urban planning and land use
Austin, TX