It is a journey is for every town, city or county that is serious about making itself a better place to live today and in coming years. You may call it something else: “becoming a Smart City” or “place making” or “revitalization.” But your journey truly begins when you understand that the usual moves – offering development lots, installing technology or rebuilding downtown – can only take you part of the way.
The rest of the journey is about preparing the community to prosper in this confusing, risky, exciting and enriching digital century. It is about building competitive advantages that work regardless of location or population. It is about creating the factors that generate a virtual cycle of economic and community growth through good times and bad. To see how other places have made their journey, see our Intelligent Community Use Cases.
What’s Next?
Your community has probably started its journey already – and ICF can help you accelerate it. Below are seven steps you can take to start or accelerate your journey.
Learn from hundreds of cities and counties that have made the journey and energize your economic and community development strategy from their experience.
Learn what is possible
The Community Accelerator Strategy can save you years of effort by offering a solid, evidence-based framework to build on.
Build your strategy on a strong framework
See how your community’s present potential and progress compares with hundreds of others in ICF’s global database. Low-cost Assessment Reports make clear your strengths, challenges and competitiveness in today’s economy.
Assess your potential and progress
Join the cities and counties that have received Intelligent Community Certification, an economic development credential that validates your community as investment-ready and prepared to prosper.
Certify your community
Learn how to implement the Accelerator Strategy through self-paced, online courses and hybrid online/live workshops. Accelerator training puts your leaders, staff and external partners on the same page to accelerate your progress.
Train your people and partners
Learn from communities facing similar challenges
Become a community member of the Intelligent Community Forum and gain personalized advice and assistance from our staff, with the opportunity to learn from other communities and collaborate in economic development.
Gain global recognition for your achievements by entering your assessment questionnaire in the annual Intelligent Community Awards and compete for a place as a Smart21, Top7 or Intelligent Community of the Year.
Win an award
Header photo by Joey Kyber on Unsplash