The Center for Digital Government (CDG) today announced the winners of the 2016 Digital Cities Survey. Now in its 15th anniversary year, the annual survey recognizes cities using technology to improve citizen services, enhance transparency and encourage citizen engagement.
"This year's top digital cities are using technology to ensure citizens can meaningfully interact with city government more easily than in any other time in history," said Todd Sander, executive director of the Center for Digital Government. "From open data portals to enhanced connectivity and mobile platforms, this year's top-ranked cities are actively promoting transparency, encouraging citizen participation and making it easier for people to do business with government. Congratulations to the winners!"
This year the survey honors cities in five population classifications: 500,000 or more, 250,000 to 499,999; 125,000 to 249,999; 75,000 to 124,999 and fewer than 75,000.
This year's first-place winners include:
Los Angeles, Calif.: Technology provides the primary mechanisms for L.A. to engage its four million residents. The city recently built an extensive open data portal to encourage citizens and businesses to utilize city data. It also launched several new open data-based partnerships and projects. One partnership includes 11 universities that are helping the city analyze its data and determine ways to make L.A. a "smarter" city.
Virginia Beach, Va.: Last January, Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms declared 2016 the "Year of Connectivity." Part of that effort involves installing a next-generation fiber optic network to connect nearly 60 government facilities and absolving itself of annual lease line costs that were nearing a half million dollars per year.
Durham, N.C.: Durham's strategic planning leadership team aligns IT and other initiatives to the City Strategic Plan goal of an "Innovative and High Performing Organization." For example, the city implemented an innovative enterprise-wide IT Governance model to provide effective IT portfolio management; and the city's new website received a Best of the Web award for excellence.
Roanoke, Va.: Roanoke recently upgraded its fiber backbone, enabling the city to move data faster and enhance online government services. The city is also expanding fiber beyond the city "campus" to libraries -- particularly those in underserved, socio-economically challenged neighborhoods -- to help connect citizens with technology and break down the digital divide. Roanoke has ranked in the survey's top 10 every year and has placed first seven times.
Tamarac, Fl.: Tamarac has used fiber to connect city departments since 1997. Over the last 20 years, the city has consistently upgraded its network to ensure it meets the evolving technology needs of the community. The city also has a top-notch cybersecurity program in place that utilizes federal standards.
Read about the top-10 ranked cities that will be honored at a special awards ceremony during the National League of Cities' annual conference in Pittsburgh November 17th.