PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach has been selected as a finalist in the International Data Corporation (IDC) Government Insights’ seventh annual Smart Cities North America Awards (SCNAA) for its trailblazing progress in creating and sustaining innovative technology projects in the Civic Engagement category for its Long Beach Collaboratory (LB Co-Lab) program. The LB Co-Lab is a new model for community-driven smart cities that ensures the City invests in technology enhancements based on community-identified needs while teaching community members how to navigate the tech world. Long Beach is one of 43 jurisdictions across the country to be selected as a finalist.

“It is an honor for the City of Long Beach to be recognized for implementing a one-of-a-kind program that merges the Long Beach community and technology,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “Thanks to the LB Co-Lab, our residents collaborated with City staff and technology vendors to come up with creative ideas to help build a path towards a brighter and innovative future.”

The Smart Cities North America Awards recognizes the progress North American municipalities have made in executing Smart Cities projects and provides a forum for sharing best practices to help accelerate Smart City development in the region. Smart cities use data and technology to improve operational efficiency, share information with the public and provide a better quality of government service.

As a next step in the selection process, IDC has launched a public voting period to select the winners for each of the 14 categories. Local residents and community members are invited to vote for the City of Long Beach, available online now through 5 p.m. eastern time on Friday, March 8. Winners will be announced March 27 and honored at Smart Cities Connect Conference this May.

Finalists in the SCNAA illustrate best practice examples of how forward-thinking municipalities are effectively leveraging technology and innovation to offer new services and economic opportunities and to meet the needs and expectations of citizens and residents.

In addition to its innovation, the LB Co-Lab is an immersive program that engages community members in a collaborative engagement and training process to develop and implement a civic technology infrastructure solution in four Long Beach neighborhoods: Hamilton, Westside, Ramona Park and Willmore. The program kicked-off off in March 2023 and concluded in October 2023, and required participants to attend one half-day technology design workshop per month, in addition to spending time completing a self-paced technology certificate training program from Pacific Gateway. Participants also received a $1,000 stipend for their participation and time commitment.

Some examples of technology solutions to be deployed based on community members’ needs include installing outdoor WiFi at parks, implementing smart lights with people counting and air quality analytics features, and the installation of privacy-compliant mobility sensors at intersections to improve bike and pedestrian safety. Implementation of these projects is expected to begin in spring 2024. To learn more about these exciting projects check-out our LB Co-Lab video and read the latest Inside LB blog post.

This impactful program prepares and engages members of the community to ensure emerging technology is useful and improves their day-to-day lives.

“Our community is what matters, our residents are what matters,” said Chief Information Officer and Technology and Innovation Department Director Lea Eriksen. “I am really proud of the excellent work we’ve accomplished in service of the Long Beach community via the Smart City Initiative and now the LB Co-Lab program.”

More information about the Smart City Initiative, including guiding principles, pilot programs, and exciting new projects, is available on the Smart City Initiative webpage. If you would like to stay informed about the progress of our Data Privacy Policy, Digital Rights Platform, or Smart City Initiatives, Sign up for our Newsletter. 

About the City of Long Beach 
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. To learn more about Technology and Innovation, visit: longbeach.gov/ti.