VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – According to the Center for Digital Government, Virginia Beach is included in the top five cities in the 250K-499K population category, coming in at fourth place.

The Digital Cities survey launched in 2001 to evaluate how U.S. cities leverage technology to elevate citizen services. This year, the winners were acknowledged for their innovative responses to cybersecurity, transparency, digital privacy, digital equity and social challenges.

Virginia Beach was recognized for introducing a chatbot on their website, which helped to expand open data initiatives, enhanced public safety from local and regional angles and established a new data center.

“It is gratifying to consistently earn a spot on this list of leading public-sector innovators,” Peter Wallace, the City’s chief information officer said. “Digital Cities Survey highlights the trends that are inspiring local governments to take meaningful action, especially around fast-evolving technologies. AI has compelled Virginia Beach to redefine our approach to everything from citizen services to cybersecurity. Such technological advancement invites opportunities to be more creative and thoughtful when reimagining city services.”

The 2023 Digital Cities Survey Awards will recognize the top 10 cities from each population category. The event is open to the public only and will take place during the National League of Cities “City Summit” on Nov. 16 in Atlanta, Georgia.