Phoenix Honored as 2025 Smart Cities North America Award Winner

Key Takeaways

Phoenix won the 2025 IDC Smart Cities Award for its Chilled Drinking Water in Public Spaces Initiative.
The initiative, launched in January 2025, aims to provide accessible chilled drinking water at key locations to combat extreme summer heat.
Over 116,000 bottles of water have been saved from single-use plastic waste since the pilot’s launch.

Innovative Water Access in Phoenix

The City of Phoenix has been recognized as a recipient of the 2025 International Data Corporation (IDC) Smart Cities North America Award for its innovative Chilled Drinking Water in Public Spaces Initiative. This program, launched in January 2025 by the Phoenix Office of Innovation in collaboration with Downtown Phoenix Inc., focuses on providing easily accessible chilled drinking water in areas frequented by pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users.

The initiative features three custom-designed water stations equipped with bottle fillers, strategically located near City Hall, Council Chambers, and along the Sonoran Bicycle Pathway leading into Downtown Phoenix. Mayor Kate Gallego emphasized the importance of this project, stating, “Phoenix is reimagining public access to cool, clean, zero waste drinking water,” underscoring that the recognition from IDC reflects the balance between community service and technological innovation.

Community involvement played a crucial role in developing this initiative, with over 500 residents and businesses providing feedback through surveys and during events like the Innovate PHX Challenge hackathon. The water stations incorporate heat-resistant technologies to endure high summer temperatures, along with remote-sensing features to monitor water usage and detect leaks. A focus group indicated that cleanliness and maintenance were top priorities for users, leading to a commitment from Downtown Phoenix Inc. to ensure daily upkeep and support from local volunteers outside of Downtown.

Councilman Galindo-Elvira expressed the initiative’s significance for public health and local economy, emphasizing the necessity of expanding such resources as the city faces increasing temperatures. The pilot has successfully delivered the equivalent of more than 116,000 average-sized water bottles, significantly reducing the reliance on single-use plastics.

IDC’s Ruthbea Yesner remarked on the increasing innovation in community services across North America, highlighting the importance of new technologies and projects. The 2025 Smart Cities North America Awards will be celebrated during the Smart Cities Connect conference in San Antonio, Texas, from April 14 to 16, 2025.

This program not only shows Phoenix’s commitment to sustainability but also serves as a model for other cities aiming to enhance public access to essential resources while promoting environmental responsibility.

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