Click here for full coverage of winners in all population categories.
1st Long Beach, Calif.
Outwardly, Long Beach has also had a challenging year, facing uncertainty that stems from federal funding cuts, immigration enforcement actions and devastating wildfires that swept its region. But the city has launched public websites connected to all these issues. There’s a federal funding updates site to help residents understand potential service impacts. There’s an immigration info and resources site to connect those in need with support, and there’s an emergency updates portal that was built during the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires nearby, providing a centralized spot for disaster updates.
Other achievements in Long Beach include piloting an AI-powered chatbot called Ask Elby!; improvements to a website where citizens can report graffiti, potholes, e-scooter violations and more; and continued coordination of two innovative technology adoption programs — Pitch Long Beach! and the LB Co-Lab. Finally, this year the city hired a full-time AI program manager, which seems like a must-have for local governments in the years to come.
2nd Wichita, Kan.
Setting an example for how a city can responsibly govern and make the most of emerging AI tools, the city of Wichita tested the waters with several pilots in the past year. By deploying ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and AI Builder to automate certain low-value tasks, the city estimates it will save $80,000 a year, and an AI chatbot added to the city website was able to resolve, upon first contact, 85 percent of 4,000 inquiries fielded in a three-month period. The city also piloted predictive analytics to forecast demand for 311 maintenance services for issues like trees or potholes, reducing response times in those districts by 10 percent. For public transparency, the city launched a public-facing IT Transparency Registry that catalogs compliance and every department’s use of approved AI tools.
To help bear the IT load to come, Wichita added redundancy, capacity and reliability to its network infrastructure with the integration of a third Internet service provider, new simultaneous head-end routers and a series of access and administration tools from Cisco. To manage major technology initiatives in the long term, the city established a new vetting process based on life cycle cost, impact, alignment with city priorities and ability to help constituents.
For data privacy and cybersecurity, city IT established a risk management team; updated the city’s data privacy policy with respect to sharing, disclosure and encryption; implemented real-time threat reporting; updated Wichita’s continuity of operations plan with cyber attack protocols; implemented advanced recovery software and data backup practices against ransomware; stepped up cross-department training and response drills; and invested in a series of internal IT audits with the business advisory firm Eide Bailly LLP. The department also underwent a comprehensive skill gap assessment, which prompted leadership to redesign the student internship program and invest in security monitoring software.
3rd Virginia Beach, Va.
Virginia Beach, Va., evaluated a multitude of areas that needed improvement and has undergone a transformation. In collaboration with four other Southside cities, a 119-mile regional fiber ring dedicated to expanding broadband access is nearly complete. In recognition of their dedication to providing Internet to underserved areas, Virginia Beach was chosen for NATOA's Community Broadband & Digital Equity Awards. Further supporting digital equity, the city bolstered communication systems by deploying cloud-extended radio. First responders now have a more reliable connection in the event of an emergency and can allow for a quicker response to underserved or remote communities. Paired with a confident connection, the city has also installed over 50 water sensors that are continuously collecting data to prepare for potential flooding. These sensors monitor weather, lighting and even have video monitoring capabilities. Through the pollution data collected at 30-second intervals on the “StormSense” tools, Virginia Beach developed air pollution maps. Communities can feel safer while knowing their officials are working to streamline emergency services and catch potential hazardous disasters.
An AI-powered chatbot on the city’s website is given much of the credit for raising efficiency. Reducing the amount of time users spend searching for answers has rewarded the chatbot with satisfaction scores exceeding 85 percent. The chatbot is also seen in the Virginia beach’s improved libraries, allowing convenient access to information and city services. Citizens can now participate in Virginia Beach Public Library programs remotely or check out a laptop at their new self-service dispenser system. In a strategy aimed at enhancing automation, the Amazon Connect initiative places AI in 911 centers. In addition to reducing high call volumes by 44 percent, this initiative contributes to the city’s cyber risk management strategy with its security measures.
In order to keep up with cybersecurity, the Data Engineering Team launched Microsoft Purview, an environment that catalogs 1,200 assets and is used by over 3,000 users daily. This new tool ensures data is safeguarded, accessible and more manageable. With a particular emphasis on workforce development, the city’s cybersecurity team has developed an internal employee engagement framework. Any employee can participate in cybersecurity projects and pilot programs, increasing engagement in new initiatives. Best practices were employed and adopted city-wide to adapt to the growing needs of its business customers and residents.
4th Chandler, Ariz.
Southeast of Phoenix, Chandler, Ariz., continues its strong tech work in 2025. This year, IT leadership delivered planned projects in cybersecurity, infrastructure and application upgrades five years ahead of schedule. The department is now viewed as an enabler of city development. IT was also integral to Chandler’s Downtown Region Area Plan Update project, which focuses on building a future-ready, inclusive downtown. The community engagement part of planning was very tech-driven, including online participation from residents, digital twins and predictive modeling, and an “immersive augmented reality” experience that integrated community feedback into the project’s plan.
In other work, Chandler’s standard software-as-a-service agreement has been updated to include AI standards in purchasing. This will help IT determine whether a product includes any AI and what kind it is, and then evaluate any issues like risk or bias. The city’s “Building Blocks” data aggregator is an AI-driven predictive modeling tool used to assess how to support housing strategies. This allows Neighborhood Services to use real-time data to manage neighborhood changes and help prevent foreclosures. In July 2025, the police department launched a real-time operations center that brings together data from tech like GIS, license plate readers and body cams to provide immediate intelligence to officers in the field. Plans are in place to upgrade and expand the center.
5th Riverside, Calif.
Riverside moved a couple of places up the list in this year’s survey, facing a set of challenges familiar to many of its peers: budget constraints, homelessness and climate change. For its part, the Innovation and Technology Department has 46 named objectives in the City of Riverside Book of Work, in which they chronicle their progress toward broader goals established by the city.
Work continues on the citywide fiber network, an investment of more than $300 million aimed at closing the digital divide for Riverside residents and businesses. With residential speeds of 10 gigabits and business speeds of 100 gigabits upon completion, “Fiber City” will also subsidize connectivity for about 12 percent of the population in the low-income category. To further its cybersecurity goals, Riverside is engaged in a regional emergency management group to foster cyber resilience in the broader Inland Empire, while the city itself leads a multistakeholder group to spread awareness on good cyber practices. This outreach follows an important development last year of a Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan. And to arm residents with intelligence on increasing fire risks, the city has launched a new set of online resources intended to foster wildfire preparedness in the community.
Turning to AI, Riverside debuted a new chatbot, Rivy, last July. Still in the pilot phase, it offers enhanced customer service outside of normal business hours, with plans to add features alongside its official public launch. Prior to the chatbot’s soft launch, Riverside implemented an AI policy to guide responsible use of the technology by city staff, city departments as well as contractors and other stakeholders.
6th Gilbert, Ariz.
The town of Gilbert reprises last year’s sixth place ranking as its IT department prioritizes identifying residents’ future needs and fulfilling them. The Office of Communications and Engagement leverages more than 25 channels to make 2 million-plus engagements with residents. Guided internally by an IT steering committee, tech leaders meet regularly with stakeholders to align on goals.
Officials launched a new Performance Management Portal with 23 dashboards during the 2025 fiscal year. Gilbert's data management team, including a data architect, a strategist and a data governance manager, has implemented a data governance strategy, stood up a centralized tech stack and used a data visualization model as part of a performance management initiative. Results have eased cross-departmental work, raised scalability, and improved data literacy and access.
The town is working to integrate AI, utilizing tools including Microsoft Copilot and launching prompt engineering training across the organization. The What’s Developing Nearby mapping tool lets residents learn about local developments, and a quality-of-life website features the town’s capital improvement projects. An AI-powered reporting system lets people file police reports in 30 languages from any device for minor, non-emergency crimes. Gilbert’s first digital twin focuses on the downtown Heritage District.
For staff, the town maintains a 4/10 workweek and a 50/50 hybrid working environment. A position benchmarking process ensures jobs align with market value. A “crowdsourcing” budgeting process model that incorporates cross-department collaboration has positively impacted IT investment, and an ongoing broadband expansion will deploy cloud-managed Wi-Fi in city parks and expand private fiber networks.
7th Durham, N.C.
Durham, N.C., has undergone significant modernization. The city’s “mega processes” have been digitized through the adoption of cloud-based solutions, automation and AI. The city’s AI workshop aimed to inform policy development for responsible use, which is noteworthy as AI functions are increasingly embedded in software. The city formally established an IT Governance Model to evaluate and prioritize new IT solutions in alignment with strategic objectives. Goals like improving efficiency, transparency and service delivery drive tech implementations. For example, regular accessibility audits of digital products are part of the city’s digital experience program.
On the efficiency side, Durham expanded Cityworks Permits, Licensing and Land, a GIS platform, and upgraded its fleet management to FASTER Web, a web-based platform, in Fiscal Year 2025. These two initiatives aim to support Durham’s smart city goals. The city has a zero-trust security stance and also added both a cybersecurity analyst and intern to its ranks in 2025; these hires, paired with increased funding, support new cybersecurity initiatives, such as the implementation of multifactor authentication. The city is focused on succession planning in preparation for a forthcoming wave of IT staffers retiring, and data plays a key role in workforce planning, as does automation where possible. Finally, the city’s Solution Development Office, in partnership with the IT Governance Steering Committee, has approved multiple solutions using robotic process automation, AI and machine learning to support efficient service delivery.
8th Miami, Fla.
Code compliance can present a thicket of stress for residents, but in Miami, city tech leaders have created an AI chatbot to help navigate the uncertainties. The tool offers what the city calls “instant assistance” for code violations, permits, licenses and enforcement. And that’s hardly the only way that Miami is using technology to improve city life. City parks are getting Wi-Fi and Miami’s event calendar has been re-platformed.
Less public-facing but still important, another effort involving artificial intelligence — this time via a voice bot — captures and documents the operation of business processes from city employees. Staff call an 800 number, and with the help of the bot describe information about who takes part in a specific process, which software is used and the main pain points. Through this technology, the city has documented at least 30 municipal business processes, which has resulted in better decision-making.
Better tech capabilities in the public sector involve more than hardware and software. In Miami’s case, a “strategic reorganization” of the IT department is reducing the inefficiencies that stem from overlapping duties and too much bureaucracy. The city wants to consolidate systems management into a structure that offers more centralization and relies on the cloud, which would then have impacts on staffing and workflows.
