Alexandria has been ranked the fourth top digital city of its size in the United States, according to the 2018 Digital Cities Survey conducted by the Center for Digital Government. In the same population category (population 125,000 – 249,999), the Virginia cities of Norfolk and Hampton were also honored.
Alexandria was the only Northern Virginia city honored anywhere on the list. See the full list of top Digital Cities from govtech.com here. Arlington won a first place prize in the Digital Counties list earlier this year.
The annual program evaluates cities' approaches to information technology, community engagement, policy and operations. This is the 14th consecutive year Alexandria has been ranked in the top 10, including two years in first place.
"Alexandria continues to leverage technology to enhance current services, increase community engagement, and plan for our future needs," said City Manager Mark B. Jinks. "We are proud to be recognized as a public technology leader."
Digital Cities Survey judges cited the future development of Alexandria's new municipal fiber-optic network, which will form the bedrock for plans to build future smart city technologies. Judges also recognized the appointment of a Chief Information Security Officer to focus on data protection measures and implement cybersecurity best practices; and the online launch of the first phase of a new stormwater utility program that includes fee estimation, payment processing and allows residents and businesses to apply for stormwater credit.
The City will formally receive the award at the National League of Cities conference in Los Angeles later this week.
