The City of Hilliard has once again been recognized as one of the world’s top smart cities, earning a place among the Intelligent Community Forum’s (ICF) Smart21 Communities of the Year for a fourth consecutive year.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, March 25 at the 2026 Smart21 Conference in Curitiba, Brazil. The Smart21 designation recognizes communities from around the globe that demonstrate excellence in broadband connectivity, workforce development, digital inclusion, innovation, advocacy, and sustainability.
Hilliard’s continued recognition highlights the City’s commitment to forward-thinking initiatives that support residents, businesses, and long-term economic growth.
“The City of Hilliard is proud to be recognized once again among the world’s leading smart communities,” said Economic Development Director David Meadows. “Our ongoing investments in innovation, infrastructure, and partnerships are helping position Hilliard for continued success in a rapidly evolving, technology-driven economy.”
The Smart21 announcement marks the first phase of ICF’s annual Intelligent Community Awards cycle. Each year, ICF evaluates hundreds of communities worldwide and selects 21 as semifinalists for further consideration.
The awards program will continue in June when ICF announces the Top7 Intelligent Communities in Brightlands-Limburg, Netherlands. The program will conclude in October at the ICF Global Summit in Columbus, Ohio, where the 2026 Intelligent Community of the Year will be named.
The full list of communities named in the 2026 Smart21 include:
- Assaí, Paraná, Brazil
- Brightlands-Limburg, The Netherlands
- Burlington, Ontario, Canada
- Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, Turkey
- Defiance, Ohio, USA
- Fairfield/Jefferson County, Iowa, USA
- Hilliard, Ohio, USA
- Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Konya Metropolitan Municipality, Turkey
- Langley City, British Columbia, Canada
- Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain
- Maringa, Paraná, Brazil
- Matosinhos, Portugal
- Murcia, Spain
- Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada
- Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia
- Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil
- Reus, Spain
- Reykjavik, Iceland
- Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Yunlin County, Taiwan
