For the fourth time in a decade, Winnipeg has been recognized as one of the most intelligent communities in the world.

The Intelligent Community Forum’s (ICF) list of the Top 7 Intelligent Communities includes cities in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Russia and Vietnam, Economic Development Winnipeg (EDW) said in a recent press release. The recognition follows Winnipeg’s February 2021 selection as a Smart21 Community of Year, which reduced a competitive field of submissions down to the 21 most compelling cities in the world.

It looks like Canada is home to some seriously smart cookies. The top seven intelligent communities of 2021 have been revealed and three Canadian cities made the cut.

On June 30, a virtual conference of the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) concluded and the world's most intelligent communities were revealed. The list is based on a community's aspirations and its leadership in economic, social, and cultural development.

Markham is the second safest city in Canada, according to a website that compares cities around the globe.

Numbeo ranked Markham second behind Quebec City on its top 10 list released in June based on a crime index of 22.22 and safety index of 77.78.

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has approved six standards that will hasten the development of eco and socio-friendly ICT cities to offer high quality life for Kenyans.

“As Kenya continues to rapidly urbanize, we increasingly rely on technological solutions to create sustainable living patterns; manage resource consumption in water and energy, enhance smart infrastructure development, ease access to government service as well as tackle environmental challenges such as garbage disposal and recycling. The approved standards will facilitate the transformation of urban infrastructures into smart and sustainable infrastructures as envisioned in the country’s Vision 2030,” said Bernard Njiraini, Managing Director, KEBS.

Durham Region has been recognized as one of the Smart21 Communities of the Year for 2021, which Durham Region’s Sandra Austin, director of strategic initiatives, says is a “positive step forward for Durham.”

The awards, presented by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), recognize the world’s leading municipalities that are successfully leveraging data and digital assets to develop inclusive and prosperous communities.

NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA — The Arrowhead Intelligent Region (AIR) initiative, a partnership between Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation and Blandin Foundation, is building on the momentum and bringing to regional scale the work and vision of 10 Iron Range Broadband Communities (IRBC) that have implemented nearly 125 projects in the past four years. IRBC broadband champions and regional developers are joining forces to think bigger about the role of broadband access and use in local economies.

Coquitlam is up for a major international award as a “smart city.”

Last week, the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) named Coquitlam as one of 21 municipalities in the running for the title of 2021 Intelligence Community of the Year.

The field will be narrowed on June 24 when seven finalists are announced; the winner is named in October at an annual summit of digital analysts.

The City of Maple Ridge and the Township of Langley are teaming up to host the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) Smart21 Conference this month.

The virtual event, themed “From Surviving to Thriving,” will take place from Feb. 22-24. It will bring together delegates from the business, government and non-profit sectors who have implemented smart technologies in communities around the world, said a press release from the City of Maple Ridge

The City of Maple Ridge has launched a new virtual hackathon.

The city hopes to cultivate new, innovative solutions to keep citizens and businesses connected to their community, said a press release from city hall. Members of the public are invited to submit ideas for digital tools that align with council’s five strategic priorities, as found at mapleridge.ca.

Early ideas include a garbage and vandalism reporting platform, an app to link seniors to social activities during the pandemic and beyond, a Maple Ridge-focused interactive trail map and an online farmers market.

The Estonian capital, Tallinn, succeeds Taoyuan in Taiwan as the “number one intelligent community”.

The “intelligent community” title is handed over annually by the New York-based Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) – a global network of 180 cities, metro regions and counties, with a think tank at its heart. The think tank studies and promotes the best practices of the world’s “intelligent communities” as “they adapt to the new demands” and “seize the opportunities presented by broadband and digital technology”.