ICF unveils top seven intelligent communities

  • March 3, 2020
  • imc

The New York-based Intelligent Community Forum has named the top seven global intelligent communities. Small and midsized communities from four nations have reached the final due to be held in Ohio in June.
 
At a conference last month in Taoyuan (last year’s winner), Taiwan, the ICF revealed the top-seven list with cities and counties from the USA, Canada, Australia and Estonia. One of these seven finalists in the annual awards programme will be named the Intelligent Community of the Year at the ICF Summit in June in Ohio.
 
In alphabetical order, the top seven communities are:

  • Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  • Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  • Hudson, Ohio, USA
  • Markham, Ontario, Canada
  • Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
  • Tallinn, Estonia
  • Westerville, Ohio, USA

Five have appeared in the top seven in previous years: this is Tallinn’s sixth appearance on the list, and the second such appearance for Hamilton, Hudson, Sunshine Coast and Westerville. Adelaide and Markham are making their first appearance.

“A trend of small and midsize cities evolving into successful intelligent communities continues,” said ICF co-founder Louis Zacharilla. “These places are not only achieving as separate communities, they are pushing their nations towards new ideas, economic growth and sustainability.”

Candidates are evaluated based on seven criteria that provide a framework for understanding all the factors that determine a community’s competitiveness and point to its success in the digital economy.

The ICF, headquartered in New York, is a global movement of 180 cities, metro regions and counties with a think tank at its heart and a mission to make everyone’s hometown at great place. ICF studies and promotes the best practices of the world’s intelligent communities as they adapt to the demands and seize the opportunities presented by information and communications technology.

To help cities and regions build prosperous economies, solve social problems and enrich local cultures, the forum conducts research, hosts events around the globe, publishes books, and produces its annual international awards programme. It sponsors research institutes in North America dedicated to the study of the movement, and national organisations in Canada and Taiwan.