For the third year in a row, the City of Williamsburg has been listed as one of the top digital cities in the country.
The Center for Digital Government ranked the city seventh among cities with populations of less than 75,000 on the 2015 Digital Cities Survey.
The City of Williamsburg, which has about 15,200 residents, tied for seventh with the only other Virginia city to make that category’s top 10 list – Manassas, which boasts a population of about 40,000 people.
Each year, the survey recognizes localities that best use technology to improve government services and efficiencies. This year’s survey focused on initiatives cities launched in regard to citizen engagement, policy, operations, technology and data, according to a news release from the city..
“We may be a small city, but we are a progressive city with an engaged community,” said Mark Barham, the city’s director of information technology. “Our digital communication strategy is focused on making it easier for our citizens and visitors to access, navigate and interact with the City.”
In commending the City of Williamsburg, CDG mentioned the redesign of the Williamsburg Wayfinder mobile app, free Wi-Fi service in the downtown area and various technology upgrades that have taken place this year.
“The fast-paced and evolving field of information technology is a vital component of our communication and public engagement strategy,” City Manager Marvin Collins said. “City Council challenges staff to use technology to keep our citizens informed and to drive innovation, efficiency and effectiveness in the City organization. I thank Mark Barham and his staff for being recognized nationally for their good work and meeting the expectations of the community to build on the historic excellence of Williamsburg.”
Below is the full top 10 rankings for cities with populations up to 75,000:
1. City of Shawnee, KS
2. City of Fayetteville, AR
3. City of Santa Cruz, CA
3. Village of Schaumburg, IL
4. City of Palo Alto, CA
4. City of Tamarac, FL
5. Town of Marana, AZ
5. City of Rancho Cordova, CA
6. City of Albany, OR
7. City of Manassas, VA
7. City of Wiliamsburg, VA
8. City of Hudson, OH
9. City of Evanston, IL
10. City of Goodyear, AZ
10. City of Punta Gorda, FL
