City of Rochester
News Release
(Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019) – The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) has announced the world’s Smart21 Communities of the Year for 2020 – and the City of Rochester is on the list for the third time.
“Making the list for a third year is a reflection of our commitment to an innovation economy and to the ways we are using technology to improve the city and better serve the public,” said Mayor Lovely A. Warren, who added that the international announcement is special this year because it was made from Rochester, which is hosting the Intelligent Community Forum Smart21 Global Cities Announcement and Conference this week.
“You will see several ‘repeat’ cities and communities this year, which reflects the persistence with which Intelligent Communities are building the economies and social structures for themselves and new generations,” said ICF co-founder Lou Zacharilla, who was one of the many speakers attending this week’s conference in Rochester. “Like our reigning Intelligent Community of the Year (Taoyuan, Taiwan), they are willing to make the investments in time required to ensure that the next several generations stay ‘home’ and thrive.”
The Smart21 Communities of 2020 list includes communities in 10 countries. Rochester is one of only four cities selected in the U.S. Selection of this group of regions, cities and towns begins the think tank’s annual eight-month process which will conclude when ICF names the 2020 Intelligent Community of the Year in June 2020
The Intelligent Community Forum is a global network of cities and regions with a think tank at its center. Its mission is to help communities use information and communications technology to create inclusive prosperity, tackle social and governance challenges and enrich quality of life.
For more information about Rochester’s Smart21 Conference, go to: www.cityofrochester.gov/Smart21ROC. More information about the Intelligent Community Forum and the Smart21 Communities of 2020 is available at: www.intelligentcommunity.org.
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Media contact: Anne Saunders 585-820-7279