Markham one of only six municipalities recognized as Smart21 Community by global forum

Yorkregion.com
March 11, 2022

The City of Markham is one of just six Canadian municipalities to be recognized as a Smart21 Community by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF).

This is the third year in a row the city has been acknowledged for its leadership and vision in leveraging information and communications technology to build an inclusive, prosperous and healthy community.

Online voting, supporting accelerator hubs, building partnerships with technology leaders and delivering digital services, including several uses of artificial intelligence, were contributing factors.

In 2020, Markham was the first municipality in Canada to use the artificial intelligence-driven virtual IBM Watson Assistant for Citizens to offer 24-hour customer service for residents looking for COVID-19 information, any time, anywhere and on any device.

In 2021, the service was expanded to address resident inquiries on more than 100 different topics.

“We foster a culture of innovation and always seek new ways to leverage technology to offer the connectivity, diversity and quality of life that our community and global technology companies value,” said Mayor Frank Scarpitti.

“We will continue to showcase Markham as a leader in city building and a living lab for digital advancement and service excellence."

The Smart21 list is selected by the ICF based on quantitative and qualitative data and information, which are evaluated by a global team of analysts led by Columbia professor, former Cisco executive and former Westchester County (New York) CIO Dr. Norman Jacknis.

The most recent recognition comes on the heels of the city topping the Forbes list as the best municipal employer and being ranked the second-safest city in Canada by Numbeo, a website comparing cities around the globe.