News Release
Fredericton Named to 2009 Smart21 Communities List
November 3, 2008
The City of Fredericton has once again made it to the top 21 list of the smartest communities in the world. The announcement was made today by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) in the Gangnam District of Seoul, South Korea, the 2008 Intelligent Community of the Year.
"This is once again wonderful news for the City," said Mayor Brad Woodside. "Last year we made it all the way to the Top Seven. I'm looking forward to seeing how high we go this year. We are committed to working with our universities, business community, health authority and research institutions to encourage innovation and ensure our citizens enjoy the economic benefits of emerging technologies."
The announcement is the first stage of ICF's annual Intelligent Community of the Year awards cycle. It is followed by the naming of the Top Seven Intelligent Communities of the Year, selected from among the Smart21, on January 21, 2009 in Honolulu, Hawaii. One of the top seven will be chosen as the 2009 Intelligent Community of the Year on May 15, 2009 in New York City.
The Smart21 were selected from hundreds of candidates from submissions from every continent. This is the third year that Fredericton has made it to the Top 21 List. The City was named to the 2008 Top Seven, with Gangnam named the 2008 Most Intelligent Community.
"I had the pleasure of visiting Gangnam a few weeks ago and we agreed to share knowledge and promote mutual growth in the areas of education, information technology, culture and economic development," said Mayor Woodside. "One of the main benefits of being named to this prestigious list is opportunities like this to learn from other leaders around the world and to share our expertise with them."
The 2009 Smart21 list includes communities from 12 nations on four continents with populations ranging from 17,000 to 2.5 million in the running for the 2009 coveted title. Eight of the communities were on the 2008 Smart21 list and three, including Fredericton, Tallinn, Estonia and Westchester County, New York were named to the 2008 Top Seven. For a complete list of Smart21 communities, visit the ICF web site at http://www.intelligentcommunity.org/index.php?src=news&srctype=detail&category=Partner%20News&refno=239.
The Intelligent Community Forum (www.intelligentcommunity.org) is a think tank that studies the economic and social development of the 21st Century community. It seeks to share the secrets of success of the world's Intelligent Communities in adapting to the demands of the Broadband Economy by conducting research, hosting events, publishing newsletters and producing an international awards program.