City of Long Beach Named Top 10 Digital City Nine Years in a Row

For the ninth consecutive year, the City of Long Beach has been named a Top 10 Digital City in a survey conducted by the Center for Digital Government, national research and advisory institute focused on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. Long Beach was recognized for its efforts to build modern technology infrastructure and efficient foundational systems; innovate to protect public safety using technology; and improve public engagement through open data and enhanced payment systems.

“We are incredibly proud that the City was named a Top 10 Digital City for the ninth year in a row,” said Mayor Garcia. “Across Long Beach, we’re working toward digital equity for all our residents, while leveraging technology to make our city safer and more efficient.”

Source: visitcalifornia.com

The designation was based on the City’s progress in implementing the vision to build a robust, cost-effective and fully integrated Smart Digital City, including:

  • Integrating foundational technology into the new Civic Center, including City Hall, the Billie Jean King Main Library and the Port Administration Building.
  • Prioritizing efficiency by:
    • Completing the financials phase of modern Enterprise Resource Planning, enabling digitization of paper-driven workflows through the initiation of a new electronic document management system.
    • Investing in cybersecurity and data security.
  • Strengthening public safety through technology by:
    • Upgrading the City’s surveillance cameras and access control systems.
    • Implementing Phase I of the Body-Worn Camera Program for police officers.
    • Implementing new public safety portable and mobile radios and dispatch infrastructure to improve regional interoperability and reception capabilities.
    • Implementing a cloud-based system to more accurately locate wireless callers for 911 calls.
  • Implementing more efficient customer-facing technologies, such as:
    • A streamlined online bill payment system that integrates multiple billing systems.
    • Upgraded Long Beach Public Library and Development Services websites, including a new interactive mapping tool for major development projects through the Startup in Residence (STiR) Program.
    • Enhanced point of sale experience for walk-in customers.
    • The elimination of service fees for the City’s utility billing platform.

“We are honored to be recognized for nine years running for our commitment to resident-focused technology and innovation,” said Lea Eriksen, Director of Technology and Innovation for the City of Long Beach.

“Congratulations to this year’s Digital Cities winners, who are working to make their communities more secure, user-friendly, efficient and resilient,” said Teri Takai, executive director of the Center for Digital Government. “Their efforts are making technology a driver of better, smarter, more responsible government.”

The survey honors cities in five population classifications this year, with the City of Long Beach falling under the 250,000 – 499,999 population classification. Within this category, Long Beach placed seventh. The Center for Digital Government is a division of e.Republic, national publishing, event, and research company focused on smart media for public sector innovation.

About the City of Long Beach

Home to approximately 480,000 people, the multiple award-winning and the innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Development Services and more. The City also has a highly-respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 171 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths, and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: FacebookTwitterInstagram, and YouTube.

About Technology and Innovation

The Technology and Innovation Department provides a centralized resource for technology deployment and support throughout the City. It is our mission to provide a customer-focused environment that integrates people, processes, and technology to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of City services. To learn more about Technology and Innovation, visit www.longbeach.gov/ti.