The inaugural IDC Smart Cities North America Awards (SCNAA) is showcasing the progress underway in North American communities undertaking smart city projects. After a tally of 3,000 public votes, 16 cities were recognized in 14 categories which included two ties in Education and Sustainable Infrastructure.
Run by the research and consulting services firm IDC Government Insights, the awards also provide a forum for sharing best practices with the goal of accelerating smart city development.
The winning cities demonstrated excellence in urban innovation, with special focus given to community involvement, unique partnerships, and the use of technologies such as mobile solutions, platforms, analytics, IoT, and the cloud.
Ruthbea Yesner, vice president at IDC Government Insights: Smart Cities Strategies, talked about the success of the awards in a press release, saying, “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.”
The winning cities and their projects will be honored at the Smart Cities New York event being held from May 8-10 at Manhattan’s Pier 36.
The categories and their winning cities are:
- Urban Planning and Land Use: Austin, Texas
- Transportation Infrastructure: Detroit, Michigan
- Tourism, Arts, Libraries, Culture, Open Spaces: Little Rock, Arkansas
- Sustainable Infrastructure: Tie between Spokane, Washington and San Diego, California
- Smart Water: Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Smart Buildings: Miami Dade County, Florida
- Public Health and Social Services: Boston, Massachusetts
- Police and Law Enforcement: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Emergency Management: El Paso, Texas
- Education: Tie between Abilene Christian University Campus in Abilene, Texas and the State of Arkansas
- Digital Equity and Accessibility: Transit Wireless in New York, New York
- Connected & Autonomous Vehicles, Public Transit, Ride-Hailing, Ride-Sharing: Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Civic Engagement: Kansas City, Missouri
- Administration: Arlington, Texas
