Government Technology recently released their list of Digital Cities winners. I was looking forward to see which Minnesota cities made the list. It was a pretty quick look. I didn’t see any.

Eden Prairie has been recognized in 2011 and 2012; St Paul recognized in 2005 and Minneapolis in 2002. So we have received nice nods in the past – but not this year.

According to Gov Tech…

Many factors play into the judging process, including progress on information and communication technology practices made over the past year, return on investment, and a city’s demonstrated ability to innovate and leverage creative practices.

Here are some of the ideas that caught the attention of Gov Tech…

In Boston

Taking top honors for large cities, Boston implemented a number innovative projects in 2013 such as its Open Government platform, a site offering residents the ability to see city data through interactive maps, digital databases and user-friendly financial city performance records.

In Irving Texas

Irving garnered acclaim for its innovative use of data to streamline many of its services in cost-effective ways. In 2010, the city installed and implemented Information Builders WebFocus, a performance product used as a way to record and report business intelligence and performance management data.

In Avondale, AZ

Avondale’s CIO Rob Lloyd credited three initiatives that were strong achievements for the city: citizen engagement efforts, the city data center, and mobilizing Avondale’s workforce. Speaking on the city’s engagement efforts, Lloyd pointed to A-Voice, Avondale’s online site for resident feedback and dialog, hailing it as a milestone achievement.

“A-Voice was a feedback program to connect with citizens online,” Lloyd said. “We used it as the city of Avondale developed and refined its 2030 General Plan, which then passed with over 80 percent voter approval.”

In Palo Alto, CA

Reflecting back on the year, Palo Alto, Calif., CIO Jonathan Reichental credited the city for innovative work on two key projects: PaloAlto311, the city’s online reporting site for infrastructure issues, and its web platform for near real-time notifications on city permits.

PaloAlto311 was released in 2013 as a way for community members to report infrastructure issues such as potholes and graffiti from laptops or smartphones. Within just a few weeks, hundreds of citizens downloaded the app, reporting numerous infrastructure issues.