ABQ SCORES WITH DIGITAL SERVICES
Online city platform, app beneficial for businesses, residents
City ranked No. 2 in nation for its use of technology to improve accessibility to businesses and residents.
Albuquerque has won the No. 2 spot in a nationwide ranking of cities that use technology to improve service to businesses and residents.
The Center for Digital Government on Thursday announced the winners of its annual rankings, which placed Albuquerque just behind Los Angeles in the category of large cities with populations above 500,000.
That’s a jump from last year’s ranking, in which Albuquerque placed No. 6.
The city was recognized for its online “city-as-a-service platform” which aims to make all city services available online and through mobile devices, the digital government group said.
It also won kudos for a new app that lets residents file non-emergency police reports, its investment in a citywide gigabit network and the project that laid fiber broadband as part of the Albuquerque Rapid Transit project.
Mayor Richard Berry said his administration is dedicated to using technology to improve the hundreds of services the city offers.
“This ranking is eight years in the making, as a result of the efforts of the city’s world-class team and good government,” Berry said in a written statement. “This ranking is a big honor, but we are not settling. We will continue to build out and improve our robust online and mobile application portfolio to better serve our community.”
The city “offers numerous online and mobile services to residents, business, and visitors through its websites and mobile applications, including a new application through the Planning Department that allows for online permitting, licensing, and business registrations,” according to a news release.
The Center for Digital Government, a project that aims to help cities become more efficient through technology, has been issuing annual rankings for the past 17 years.