Two years after the launch of its What Works Cities national initiative, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced its new Smart City certification. The What Works Cities Certification seeks to support local leaders in leveraging Smart City best practices, as well as reward achievements and provide a clear path to success.

The Smart Cities Council awarded the Readiness Challenge Grant on Feb. 8 to Orlando, Miami, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and Austin, which gives the cities mentoring opportunities and a workshop in which to develop new IT projects that will best help their populations. 21st Century State & Local checked in with these cities to find out how they plan to use these resources.

The Smart Cities Council awarded the Readiness Challenge Grant to Austin, Indianapolis, Miami, Orlando, and Philadelphia.