The City of Chandler just clinched a major tech accolade, ranking second in the Digital Cities Awards for the 250,000-499,999 population category, as per the announcement on their official website. This is no trivial feat – the Center for Digital Government (CDG) bestows these honors on cities that leverage technology to, among other things, tackle societal challenges, bolster cybersecurity, and streamline city services. Chandler's forward-thinking strategies have certainly paid off, with their initiatives capturing the CDG's attention.
Chandler's population, estimated at 287,024 as of last November, seems to punch above its weight when it comes to tech. The city's Mayor, Kevin Hartke, didn't miss the opportunity to praise city staff for their relentless push for digital excellence. "It is an honor for Chandler to be recognized with a Digital Cities award this year. A second place finish truly recognizes the tremendous innovative efforts of all of our staff to advance digital services for the residents and businesses of Chandler," Hartke said, as stated by the City of Chandler.
Among the highlights for Chandler was the establishment of a community technology center, created in partnership with the Digital Inclusion and Acceleration (IDIA), Chandler Unified School District, and AZCEND. This center is a beacon for the underserved, providing them with access to essential tech resources. They've also introduced real-time language translation technology to help knock down language barriers, and they're in the process of adopting a 3-1-1 customer call service center to streamline city communications, according to the City of Chandler.
The Digital Cities Survey is keen on recognizing the cities that redefine public service through technology, and Chandler has made its mark. "Cities of every size are redefining what’s possible using technology to elevate public service and improve government," said John Matelski, Executive Director of CDG. Chandler's CIO, Sandip Dholakia, elaborates on the city's achievements: "The City of Chandler's recognition as the second-place winner in the 2024 Digital Cities Awards is a testament to the power of collaboration between our Information Technology Department and all city departments," he mentioned, as per the City of Chandler. Through investments in tech, Chandler is reaping the benefits with a 12 percent boost in web traffic and a measurable uptick in online transactions.
