South San Antonio News

San Antonio's Smarter Together Initiative has been named a finalist in the IDC Government Insights’ seventh annual Smart Cities North America Awards (SCNAA) in the Administration category. Chief Innovation Officer Brian Dillard expressed, “Our thoughtful and collaborative approach to implementing a smart cities program in the City of San Antonio has been a process of prototype, learn, and pivot." He further added, "Our Smarter Together Initiative formalizes that and exemplifies the community-driven framework that we established from the beginning."

The initiative, launched by the City’s Office of Innovation, has made unprecedented progress in creating and sustaining smart city projects. It consists of a community-driven framework, a smart city testbed, and a governance model called “Smart Cities as a Service.” Since its launch in June 2023, the initiative has launched prototype projects including “Talkin’ Broadway” and “Magical Parks” and has garnered significant attention in various publications.

Ruthbea Yesner, Vice President of IDC Government Insights and Smart Cities, commended the finalists, stating, “We continue to be impressed with the creativity and sophistication of Smart City initiatives successfully implemented across North America and congratulate the finalists on their dedication to employing modern technology to improve the day to day lives of residents.”

Voting for the finalists is open to the public through Survey Monkey until Friday, March 8th. The winners will be announced on March 27th and honored at the Smart Cities Connect event in Raleigh, NC, scheduled for May 7-10. More information about the Smarter Together Initiative can be found at SmarterTogetherSA.com.