Markham captures global Smart21 Community title for third consecutive year

MARKHAM, ON – March 4, 2022 – The City of Markham has once again been named one of the world’s Smart21 Communities of 2022 by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) . Markham joins cities and regions from around the world that are building inclusive economic prosperity, social health and cultural richness – all with the goal of making strong and resilient communities and improving quality of life.

"The City of Markham is proud to be recognized for its commitment to innovation for the third year in a row,” said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “We foster a culture of innovation and always seek new ways to leverage technology to offer the connectivity, diversity and quality of life that our community and global technology companies value. We will continue to showcase Markham as a leader in city building and a living lab for digital advancement and service excellence."

The Smart21 list recognizes Markham’s leadership and vision in leveraging information and communications technology to build an inclusive, prosperous and healthy community. It allows Markham to showcase and share its demonstrated experience with online voting, supporting accelerator hubs, building partnerships with technology leaders, and delivering digital services, including several uses of Artificial Intelligence. In 2020, Markham was the first municipality in Canada to use the artificial intelligence-driven virtual “IBM Watson Assistant for Citizens” to offer 24-hour customer service for residents looking for COVID-19 information, anytime, anywhere and on any device. In 2021, the service was expanded to address resident inquiries on more than 100 different topics.

Markham is one of just six Canadian municipalities to be recognized as a Smart21 Community. Smart21 Communities are selected by ICF based on quantitative and qualitative data related to the ICF Method , which provides the conceptual framework for understanding the factors that determine a community’s competitiveness in economic, social and cultural terms. These indicators are Connectivity, Knowledge Workforce, Digital Inclusion, Sustainability, Engagement (Engage) and Innovation.

The Smart21 are selected by ICF based on quantitative and qualitative data related to the six Factors of the ICF Method. The data and information are evaluated by a global team of Analysts led by Columbia professor, former Cisco executive and former Westchester County (New York) CIO, Dr. Norman Jacknis. Dr. Jacknis serves as a Senior Fellow of the Intelligent Community Forum.

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Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti's Office:
At mayorscarpitti@markham.ca.

All other media inquiries / interview requests for the City of Markham:
At media@markham.ca.

For COVID-19 announcements from the City of Markham: 
Visit markham.ca/covid19 or listen to 105.9 The Region – Markham’s information and emergency radio station.

About Markham: Markham, an award-winning municipality with more than 354,000 residents and the largest of nine communities in York Region, is home to over 650 headquartered companies and more than 1,500 high tech and life science companies. Markham is a leader in attracting foreign direct investment with more than 234 foreign companies located in the City. Founded in the 1790s, today Markham is Canada’s most diverse community and enjoys a rich heritage, outstanding community planning and services, and a vibrant local economy.
 

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