The City of Montgomery last week was named one of five winners of the prestigious Smart Cities Readiness Challenge competition thanks to the collaborative efforts of Alabama Power Company, Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, the city, the county, Montgomery Public Schools and military and other national defense partners.
The international competition was hosted by the Smart Cities Council and will garner global recognition, new development opportunities and access to a special year-long technology program for Alabama’s capital city
“This is another special moment – a watershed day – for our community signifying our success in capitalizing on the opportunities for growth and economic development that come through the advancement of technology across our city,” Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said in a statement Monday announcing the win.
“But what’s even more important is our resolve to adopt practical high-tech solutions that better serve residents, add to our quality of life and expand access to the tools and technology needed for future success. We are grateful to our partners who raised their hands to join us in this venture,” the mayor added.
Montgomery formed a Smart City Committee specifically to steer the application process for the competition. The city’s application provided an overview of up-and-running projects, like the Smart City Living Lab, Star Watch, Rubicon and Open Data Montgomery, as well as future plans to use technology to impact residents – including providing free Wi-Fi access to all Montgomery students by upgrading infrastructure at local community centers.
“This award underscores recent technology and data-driven initiatives advancing Montgomery as a major player in the Smart City movement,” City IT Manager and Smart City Committee Coordinator Savio Dias said. “It also builds on our current momentum in the Smart City space, carrying it forward into the future through strategic planning.”
TechMGM, Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce’s initiative to connect and leverage the city’s unique technology assets, was proud to partner with the entire team that worked for weeks to put the application together. TechMGM and the local chamber said that they are eager to continue to promote and invest in smart city initiatives with their many community partners.
“Montgomery is maximizing and refining the region’s existing infrastructure and physical and intellectual resources to establish innovation strategies that continue to drive demand for the city as a long-term sustainable location for investment,” TechMGM Executive Director Charisse Stokes said. “Receiving this honor reinforces our strategy to make Montgomery a smarter place to live and work.”
While vying with more than 100 major cities — as large and geographically diverse as Dallas, TX, and Jersey City, NJ — Montgomery impressed the Smart Cities Council by demonstrating a concise vision for incorporating innovative data-driven approaches in multiple projects, as well as shoring up efforts to enhance communication and collaboration with its team of regional stakeholders and community partners.
As a winner, Montgomery will receive a full-year Readiness Program, including mentoring, an outcome-oriented Readiness Workshop, a Readiness Roadmap based on its priorities and regular progress calls and follow-up workshops. Montgomery will also receive nationwide publicity as a great place to live and work, plus travel scholarships to Smart Cities Week twice per year to continue learning. To top it off, the city and its partners get access to financiers who can structure public/private partnerships and other forms of alternative financing.
Officials see this competition result as essential to attracting potential job creators and expanding the city’s high-tech workforce, according to the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.
The four other winners were Baltimore, MD; Edmonton, Canada; Racine, WI, and Cleantech San Diego (San Diego, CA).
This competition victory and award marks yet another technology honor for Montgomery this fiscal year. The city earned two Smart 50 Awards from Smart Cities Connect in January and the Digital Cities Survey Award by the Center for Digital Government in November.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
