Innovation & Technology Awards and Recognitions

Smart Charlotte continues to drive innovation that improves how residents connect with city services, information and opportunities. Through strategic partnerships, forward-thinking technology initiatives and a strong focus on digital equity, the city is building smarter, more accessible experiences that strengthen quality of life across Charlotte.

These awards and recognitions reflect Charlotte’s growing national leadership in civic technology, digital inclusion and resident-centered innovation. From expanding access to essential services to exploring the responsible use of emerging technologies like generative AI, the city remains committed to creating solutions that are efficient, equitable and designed with the community in mind.

2026 Awards and Recognitions

  • The City of Charlotte was selected as one of 10 cities to participate in a generative AI cohort through the Harvard Kennedy School Data-Smart City Solutions, sponsored by the Knight Foundation.
    • The three-year initiative will place data fellows in Knight cities to improve government decision-making, efficiency and resident engagement. The program will provide technical support and foster peer-learning for a cohort of cities including Charlotte.
  • City named a 2025 Digital Inclusion Trailblazer from the National Digital Inclusion Alliance. The city is one of 58 local governments recognized as 2025 Digital Inclusion Trailblazers, recognizing their critical efforts to close the digital divide.
    • Representing 25 states, this year’s pool of applicants demonstrates the ongoing importance of municipal, county and regional governments in bringing digital opportunities to their residents.
    • “Having the City of Charlotte recognized as a Digital Trailblazer by NDIA is rewarding, and, as one of the fastest-growing cities, we know collaboration is key to closing the digital divide,” Smart Charlotte Program Lead, Jamar Davis, said. “Our leadership and community partners are committed to improving quality of life for all residents — to us, that’s what success means.”
  • The City of Charlotte was named a finalist in the 2026 IDC Smart Cities North America Awards, which recognizes leading practices and innovation in state/provincial and local government projects and initiatives. Winners and finalists demonstrate how technology innovation, partnership and community engagement can solve pressing challenges. CiviForm, an open-source application platform developed in collaboration with Google.org, has dramatically improved access to essential services for residents, reducing application processing times to just 2–3 days and saving approximately 38,000 hours for 910 housing applicants. With a 300% increase in programs, it now serves 1,016 applicants across eight initiatives, enabling faster service delivery when families need it most.

2025 Awards and Recognitions

  • The City of Charlotte was ranked fourth in the “500,000 or more population” in the Center for Digital Government’s Digital Cities Survey.
    • The Center for Digital Governments (CDG) is a national institute focused on state and local governments’ technology policy and practices. Every year, CDG invites municipalities all over the country to compete for its Digital Cities Survey awards. More than 50 cities were recognized as forward-thinking cities “propelling city government innovation to new heights” in 2025.
    • Read the article featuring Chief Information Officer Markell Storay and how Charlotte plans to keep the momentum going.
Back to top