Annual Study: Winston-Salem Most Digitally Savvy City Of Its Size PDF Print E-mail
Local Government
By Administrator   
Friday, 14 November 2014 05:43

RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - The Republic Center for Digital Government has ranked Winston-Salem No. 1 in the center’s 2014 Digital Cities Survey of cities with a population of 125,000 to 249,999.

City officials touted the ranking in a tweet Thursday, with details posted on the city website.

The annual study ranks the use of information technology by local governments.

The 2014 survey ranked cities for their use of digital technology in the areas of citizen engagement, policy, operations, and technology and data, said Todd Sander, the center’s executive director in the city's statement. “This year’s Digital Cities’ winners brought about impressive change across all aspects of government by leveraging information technology investments to expand open government, citizen participation and shared services,” Sander said.

Through the city website, Winston-Salem residents have access to crime tracking data updated daily, internal performance measures, and financial data that allows citizens to track city spending down to individual vendor transactions. A new citizen notification system allows residents to sign up for alerts by text, voice, or email; and the city is cooperating with AT&T to build an all-fiber network with speeds up to 1 gigabit per second.

Internally, the city has expanded the use of customized applications for mobile devices, such as a GIS-based, GPS-enabled application that allows city workers, while they travel about the city, to grade street health as part of a system that prioritizes paving projects. These applications have reduced the need for expensive laptops and allow staff to work independent of location, enabling more efficient operations and greater productivity.

Three other North Carolina cities were also ranked: Greenville tied for second among cities with a population of 75,000 to 124,999; Durham tied for fourth among cities with a population of 125,000 to 249,999; and Raleigh tied for fifth among cities with a population of 250,000 or more.

 
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