Builders and developers are starting to use technology in new ways to provide seamless, convenient experiences for home owners and residents. Now, that thinking is going up a level - city leaders are leveraging technology to get insights from their constituents and their behavior to make smarter decisions. This Smart Cities World article talks about the top innovative ways that cities are leveraging technology.

Now in its 19th year, the annual survey recognises cities using technology to tackle social challenges, enhance services, strengthen cybersecurity and more.

“Congratulations to this year’s Digital Cities winners, who are working to make their communities more secure, user-friendly, efficient and resilient,” said Teri Takai, executive director for CDG. “Their efforts are making technology a driver of better, smarter, more responsive government.”

“The top Digital Cities this year are taking the IT department far beyond the role of service provider,” said Phil Bertolini, co-director of CDG. “They’re exploring creative ways to leverage their technology investments and redefining the role of the public-sector technology leader at the city level.”

The survey honours 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 winners are:

San Diego, Calif: San Diego was recognised for a “citizen-centric focus”, which was found to be evident in its website, mobile apps, expansion of open data, and the Get It Done citizen reporting tool. The city is also focused on its cybersecurity strategy -- all 11,500 city employees complete annual cybersecurity training. For the Housing San Diego initiative, IT overhauled the Development Services website, provided an online input tool for residents and streamlined the online permit process. The city’s new Digital Strategy Division was also hailed as impressive, seeking to improve efficiencies by breaking down silos, improving the end-user experience and developing streamlined processes so employees can get the digital tools they need to improve city services.

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