The towns, cities, and regions of the Smart City and the Intelligent Community Movement
As I stood at each one of the announcements this year of the Intelligent Community Awards program, I thought to myself, “What an extraordinary moment it is to stand at the intersection of innovation, inclusion, and global community-building”.
The past year has shown us, once again, that the Intelligent Community movement is not merely an idea—it is a living, evolving force powered by cities and regions that dare to imagine a better future and work tirelessly to build it.
The year 2025 stands as a testament to what visionary leadership, purposeful innovation, and a commitment to inclusive progress can achieve. Across the Intelligent Community Forum network, communities large and small demonstrated how digital connectivity, talent development, and future‑ready governance can transform local ambition into global leadership.
From our Smart21cities—many of them remarkable “no‑name” communities that proved reputation is no match for resolve—to the independently selected Top7, and ultimately to the Regional Municipality of Durham, recognized as the Intelligent Community of the Year, this past year showcased the extraordinary power of collaboration among cities, universities, and industry partners.
As we celebrate these achievements, we also turn with excitement toward 2026, when a new group of Smart21 communities will emerge to inspire the world. This is your community’s moment to step forward, share its story, and be recognized among the next generation of intelligent communities shaping a resilient, sustainable, and opportunity‑rich future.
But before we watch the ball drop in Times Square at midnight, let’s review 2025 from an ICF Smart21 and Intelligent Community perspective:
In 2025, we witnessed a remarkable cohort of communities step forward as ICF’s Smart21, representing nine countries across five continents. These communities—some well-known, others proudly “no-name” cities until now—demonstrated that intelligence is not a matter of size or fame, but of vision, leadership, and commitment to people. Among them were Alcobendas, Assaí, Bilbao, Brightlands-Limburg, Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, Chiayi County, Coral Gables, Durham Region, Fairfield/Jefferson County, Grey County, Hilliard, Kingston, Konya Metropolitan Municipality, Langley City, Las Rozas de Madrid, Parramatta, Pingtung County, Ponta Grossa, Reykjavík, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, and Warner Robins.
Nine of these communities joined the Smart21 for the very first time—proof that the movement continues to expand, diversify, and welcome new leaders into the global conversation.
From this distinguished group, an independent adjudication panel selected the Top7 Intelligent Communities of 2025, each offering a powerful example of what it means to build a future-ready society.
We saw Assaí in Brazil, with a population around 15,000; a three-time Smart21 community and twice recognized Top7, reinventing itself from an agricultural hub into a thriving innovation ecosystem—home to Brazil’s first CityLab and an inspirational model for how connectivity, gamification, and citizen engagement can reshape a local economy. Maintaining its Japanese heritage and seeking a future in which the city’s youth aren’t forced to seek higher education and future work outside of their hometown is a testament to its leadership’s vision and determination.
We celebrated exotic Bursa Metropolitan Municipality in Türkiye, with a population of about 3.3 million, becoming a Smart21 and Top7 community. This is an extraordinary community that covers 17 districts from sea to ski, where history and modernity converge. From its Ottoman past, where it was the end of the Silk Road, to a manufacturing behemoth today, Bursa’s strategic investments in free public Wi-Fi, smart lighting, real-time systems, and its B-CUBE Innovation Centre have created a dynamic environment for entrepreneurship, Industry 4.0 transformation, and a resilient future for its citizens.
We recognized Durham Region in Ontario, Canada, population 750,000,—appearing in the Top7 for the fourth consecutive year—where a strategic and determined regional government has used ICF’s Community Accelerator Strategy to expand rural broadband, support low-income learners, empower seniors with digital skills, and pioneer AI applications like the CityROVER system for infrastructure management.
We applauded Fairfield/Jefferson County in Iowa, a wonderful community of just over 15,000 population, and once known for its spiritual heritage, now emerging as “Silicorn Valley,” with one of the highest rates of small business creation in the United States and a deep commitment to talent development, broadband adoption, and green energy leadership.
We honored Hilliard in Ohio, a small, but amazing city of about 37,000 citizens, with an outsized ambition—leveraging municipal fiber, school partnerships with Amazon Web Services, and the groundbreaking Hilliard City Lab to test next-generation technologies, from drones to AI sandboxes.
After a pause of 12 years, we welcomed back beautiful Kingston in Ontario, a city of 172,000 population, blending heritage with innovation. With world-class institutions, a thriving startup ecosystem, and leadership in cleantech, life sciences, and cultural development, Kingston continues to show how mid-sized cities can lead national transformation.
And we celebrated Las Rozas de Madrid—the first Spanish community ever named to the Top7—where a strong innovation ecosystem, near-universal broadband, and bold sustainability initiatives have created a model for digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, and smart urban living. It also has a strong and inspirational leadership among its mayor, council, and innovation enterprises that are a best practice for others to emulate.
Finally, after a year of rigorous evaluation, site audits, and international jury deliberation, we gathered in Ho Chi Minh City on December 13th to name the Region of Durham as the 2025 Intelligent Community of the Year. Durham’s achievement reflects years of intentional strategy, cross-municipal collaboration, and a deep commitment to ensuring that every resident—urban or rural, young or old—benefits from the opportunities of the digital age.
As we celebrate these extraordinary communities, we also look ahead. The search for the Smart21 of 2026 begins now. And this is where your community enters the story.
If your city is investing in digital connectivity, nurturing talent, building a future workforce, fostering civic and triple helix engagement, diversity, innovative governance, building an innovation ecosystem, and/or strengthening resilience and sustainability, then this is your moment. The Intelligent Community movement thrives because communities like yours choose to step forward, share their progress, and join a global network committed to creating places where people can live, learn, work, and prosper. Nominate your community today: https://www.intelligentcommunity.org/your_intelligent_community_journey
The world needs more examples of hope, more stories of transformation, and more leaders willing to build a future that is not only smart - but truly intelligent.
Let 2026 be the year your community takes its place on the global stage.
