New Taipei City named 2026 Outstanding City by CommonWealth Magazine

New Taipei City has received the highest honor of “2026 Outstanding City” at the CommonWealth Magazine City Governance Excellence Awards. Out of 165 competing projects from 20 local governments across Taiwan, the city secured two first prizes and two excellence awards.

The Fire Department earned a first prize in the Social Progress category for its new emergency medical services model. By implementing the “TP+ Advanced Medical Support Team” and the “Sanchong AED Protection Network,” the city achieved an Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) recovery rate of 12.13%, the highest among the six major cities in Taiwan.

The Environmental Protection Bureau received a first prize in the Environmental Protection category for its smart inspection system. This initiative utilizes AI-driven water color recognition and existing civilian networks to monitor pollution, which has reportedly reduced water pollution complaints by approximately 25.5% and saved millions in labor costs.

Additionally, the city received two excellence awards for vocational education initiatives and animal safety governance models.