VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (May 18, 2018) — Virginia Beach was honored during the 2018 IDC Smart Cities North America Awards (SCNAA) by IDC Government Insights for innovative smart water solutions. The award program, held in New York City, spotlights communities across North America that have successfully implemented smart city projects and achieved notable progress. Almost 3,000 public votes were cast to identify winners in 14 smart city categories such as transportation infrastructure, emergency management, smart buildings and more. Virginia Beach took top honors in the smart water category.
"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 citizens," said Ruthbea Yesner, vice president, IDC Government Insights: Smart Cities Strategies. "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."
This year's award recipients epitomize urban innovation in action and demonstrate a shared commitment to using technology, data, partnerships, creative funding models and community engagement as a springboard for meaningful change. Virginia Beach was the only winner from the state of Virginia and joined 16 other cities for the award ceremony.
"We are energized by the Smart Cities North America Award and proud of the impact our efforts have made thus far. The city is spearheading technological breakthroughs to address some of the most pressing issues facing communities today," said Pedro Wallace, the city's chief information officer. "Winning an award of this scale for our smart city initiatives is nothing short of inspiring. Our regional approach, partnerships and commitment to enhancing quality of life for all citizens are what truly makes us a smart city."
