For the fifth year in a row, Bellevue has been named among the top cities in the country for digital innovation, the Center of Digital Government announced Tuesday. 

Bellevue took third place in 2021 Digital Cities Survey among cities with a population between 125,000-249,999. The city was number 1 in 2020 and 2018, to go with another third-place finish in 2019 and fourth place in 2017.

City Manager Brad Miyake said. “I’m proud of the way our IT (Information Technology) Department and the rest of our staff collaborate to continually find technical innovations that yield meaningful improvements in our services.” 

With the annual Digital Cities Survey, the Center for Digital Government recognizes cities utilizing technology to tackle social challenges, enhance services, strengthen cybersecurity and more.

“It’s an honor for the city to have placed in the top five for the past five years,” added Chief Information Officer Sabra Schneider. “This exceptional civic technology work is a testament to the innovative community we serve and the talented and committed team of technologists who deliver every day for the residents of Bellevue.”

Bellevue was recognized this year for innovations that support city priorities. Highlights include: 

• Fiber-optic cable: deployed during planned street improvements, enables intelligent traffic signals and streaming video from traffic cameras
• Free public Wi-Fi: for affordable housing communities in Bellevue
• Virtual Permit Center: allows convenient, online meetings with staff for general permitting guidance 
• State of Our Neighborhoods: dashboard allows residents to track neighborhood-specific data and explore trends over the past decade
• Police Data Dashboard: offers information about citations, complaints, use of force and locations of crimes

All U.S. cities are invited to take part in the annual Digital Cities Survey. The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute focused on technology policy and best practices in state and local government.

Source: City News