Seattle places third in 2024 Digital Cities Survey

The City of Seattle was awarded a third-place finish for a city with a population over 500,000 in the 24^th Digital Cities Survey. The Digital Cities Awards are the premier achievement in local government. They involve a formidable, fact-based application process and have been awarded to cities in five population categories for 24 years.

Seattle was recognized for its commitment to improving public services through technology, specifically for its work to modernize IT infrastructure, invest in digital equity, enhance resident services, and prioritize data security.  "This is a major achievement, representing the success of every part of Seattle IT in partnership with our City departments and vendor partners," said Rob Lloyd, Chief Technology Officer. "On a national standard, Seattle is ranked as a leader for the work we do, the impact we are making on our community as a City, and where we are going as Seattle IT."

Seattle has modernized legacy systems, swapping out a 30-year-old on-premise human capital management and payroll platform for a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform. It's also embarking on a three-year effort to consider how the city collects, stores, uses, and shares data. Cybersecurity initiatives include new processes to help teams quickly fix zero-day vulnerabilities, provide new monitoring tools, and continue to enhance information-sharing collaborations with the state fusion center.

Seattle stands out for its initiatives, such as CiviForm, an award-winning hub where residents can search and apply for supportive services at affordable or discounted rates. Those include free or discounted preschool programs, low-cost Internet and other offerings. The hub simplifies and accelerates the application processes, letting residents reuse information for multiple program applications. "CiviForm staff are continually working to reduce the time imposed on low- income residents who are seeking assistance services. It's gratifying to be recognized for our work serving the public," said Miguel Jimenez, Affordable Seattle Program Manager, Innovation and Performance. Another kudos went to the city IT department which supports an annual regional health clinic, offering free care for anyone struggling to afford it.

A national leader in digital equity programming, Seattle has expanded the scope of its Technology Access and Adoption Study, which offers new findings every five years to guide digital equity programs. The latest version of the study considers for the first time the number of devices per household, whether residents' devices have sufficiently large screens, residents' use of telehealth, their experience of significant Internet disruptions, and their awareness of the Affordable Connectivity Program. This was also the first time the study gathered information on digital equity among urban native groups that had not been previously surveyed. Seattle also created the wireless affairs coordinator role to address matters like equitable telecom service levels.

Keeping an eye on emerging tech, the city's 2023 generative AI policy guides proper use and has been a model throughout the nation. Seattle has embarked on several GenAI pilots this year.

The annual Digital Cities award recognizes cities like Seattle that are finding innovative ways to support solutions for social challenges facing cities today. The top 10-ranking cities in each of five population categories were honored during the Digital Cities Awards event at the National League of Cities "City Summit" on November 13 in Tampa Bay, Florida. 

Seattle IT is a trusted partner that provides secure, reliable, and compliant technologies, enabling the City to deliver equitable and responsive services to the public. To learn more about Seattle IT and its innovative programs, visit www.seattle.gov/tech.