PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - For the tenth consecutive year, the City of Long Beach has been named a Top 10 Digital City by the Center for Digital Government (CDG), surpassing numerous other cities in a national survey that spotlights municipalities who align their technology with city goals. 

“Long Beach is proud to be recognized as a Top 10 Digital City for a remarkable 10 years in a row,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “The City is leading the way using technology for the public good. We’re focused on closing the digital divide and ensuring that all residents have access to the internet and other important resources, especially as we work to get through this crisis.”

The CDG survey honors cities in five population classifications this year, with the City of Long Beach falling under the 250,000 to 499,999 population classification. Within this category, Long Beach placed second, its highest ranking over the past 10 years. 

Long Beach was recognized for its efforts to use data and advanced analytics to address the COVID-19 pandemic, increase resident engagement through technology and address digital equity initiatives to improve access to technology. The designation was based on the City’s progress building a resilient, cost-effective, fully-integrated and inclusive smart digital city, including:

• Using data to inform the COVID-19 response and recovery, and developing data summary and analysis documents for its Emergency Operations Center (EOC). 
• Creating a 10-person interdepartmental EOC data team responsible for producing dashboards to help shape internal decision-making, and creating a public digital dashboard with COVID-19 information and metrics.  
• Updating the city’s Open Data Policy to orient data programs toward automation and developing the Citywide Data and Data Governance committees. The City is engaging stakeholders on draft smart city principles as part of the Long Beach Smart City Initiative.
• Engaging residents and businesses through the development of a digital engagement toolkit and conducting online engagement, including data sharing opportunities related to homelessness and the City’s Framework for Reconciliation.
• Advancing digital equity through the launch of a centralized online platform, ConnectedLB, in partnership with California Emerging Technology Fund,  EveryoneOn and human-I-T, so Long Beach residents could access low-cost Internet, computers and digital literacy resources and training.
• Prioritizing efficiency by continuing with the second phase of a modern Enterprise Resource Planning program, digitizing paper documents, creating new online forms and services and investing in cybersecurity.

“We are honored to be recognized for our commitment to technology and innovation,” said Technology & Innovation Department Director Lea Eriksen. “2020 has been a challenging year and we are proud of our ability to use technology and data to support and inform the City’s pandemic response and resiliency and recovery efforts.”

“Innovative cities are utilizing technology and analyzing data to better serve their citizens, respond quickly to citizen needs around COVID-19, and support digital experience initiatives,” said CDG Co-Director Phil Bertolini. “The Center for Digital Government congratulates this year’s winners for their hard work and efforts to use technology to enhance citizen interactions with government.”

Now in its 20th year, the annual CDG survey recognizes cities using technology to improve citizen services, enhance transparency and encourage citizen engagement. The CDG is a national research and advisory institute focused on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. The CDG is a division of e.Republic, a national publishing, event and research company focused on smart media for public sector innovation.

About the City of Long Beach
Home to approximately 480,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly rated school district, Long Beach Airport and the Port of Long Beach. The City also has a highly respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 171 parks, miles of beaches, marinas and bike paths.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About Technology and Innovation
The Technology and Innovation Department provides a centralized resource for technology deployment and support throughout the City. It is our mission to provide a customer-focused environment that integrates people, processes, and technology to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of City services. To learn more about Technology and Innovation, visit: www.longbeach.gov/ti. 

###