PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach has been recognized as a Top Digital City in the Center for Digital Government (CDG)’s 2021 Digital Cities Survey, which evaluates how cities across the nation use technology to advance city goals, operations and services to the community. This is the eleventh consecutive year the City has been recognized as a Top 10 Digital City, this year ranking first in its population size nationwide.

“We are honored to be recognized as the top digital city,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “Our focus on technology has made us able to deliver our core services to the community quickly and accessibly. This award demonstrates how investing in technology is foundational to creating a resilient, responsive and smart city.” 

Now in its 21^st year, the annual survey recognizes cities across the nation that utilize technology to tackle social challenges, enhance services, and strengthen cybersecurity, among other initiatives. It honors cities in five population classifications, with Long Beach assigned to the 250,000 to 499,999 population category. Within this category, Long Beach placed first, its highest ranking over the past 11 years. 

“Innovative cities are able to leverage data and harness new technology to enhance the services they provide,” said CDG Vice President Phil Bertolini. “The Center for Digital Government congratulates this year’s winners for putting technology to good use toward improving the lives of constituents and strengthening the relationships they have with their partners.” 

Long Beach was recognized for its efforts in developing responsive and community-centric technology services that help to streamline the delivery of government services, encourage the use of open data and collaboration, enhance cybersecurity, use data to contribute to disaster response and recovery efforts, and address digital equity initiatives to improve access to technology. This year’s designation was based on the City’s progress in building a resilient, cost-effective, integrated and inclusive smart digital city through the following key initiatives:

• Advanced digital equity and advocacy through the adoption of the Smart City Initiative and the Digital Inclusion Roadmap.
• Enhanced the Go Long Beach app for resident reporting, available in all four primary languages spoken in Long Beach.
• Implemented the online vaccination and information portal, VaxLB, which contributes to the high vaccination rate in Long Beach.
• Embraced data and key performance indicators to support critical City restoration efforts, such as identifying neighborhoods most impacted by the pandemic and hosting BizCare pop-up events in those neighborhoods to advance economic development in underserved areas.
• Established Community Learning Hubs in select City parks, which provided students access to much needed free WiFi to promote remote student learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Created the Tech-To-Go lending program in partnership with the Long Beach Library Department in 11 of the City’s libraries.

“Being recognized as a top digital city on a national level affirms our commitment to using technology to facilitate growth and improve service to our community,” said Technology & Innovation Department Director Lea Eriksen. “As public servants, we have an obligation to leverage technology by developing data-centric tools that deliver services to our residents and help build a stronger, more resilient Long Beach.”

The top 10-ranking cities in each of the five population categories, among other awardees, will be honored during the Digital Cities Awards and Workshop in December. The full list of this year’s winners is available on the CDG website.

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 longbeach.gov. Watch us on LBTV. 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: longbeach.gov/ti.  

About the Center for Digital Government
The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute focused on technology policy and best practices in state and local government. CDG is a division of e.Republic, the nation’s only media and research company focused exclusively on state and local government and education.