Taoyuan Mayor Chang San-Cheng led a municipal meeting on November 19, where the Police Department presented the city’s latest international achievement. Taoyuan won the Silver Prize in the Human-CentriCity category at the 2025 Seoul Smart City Prize, co-hosted by the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Mayor Chang said Taoyuan was selected from more than 50 countries and cities worldwide. The winning project, “Youth on Track: Building a Happy City for Young People in Taoyuan”, also known as the Juvenile 3P Model: Prediction, Prevention, Protection, earned second place globally in the Human-CentriCity category. Taoyuan was the only city in Asia to win an award this year. The recognition highlights the city’s innovative work in youth counseling, social care, and technology-driven governance. It also reflects the strong global recognition of Taoyuan’s leadership in smart city development.
Mayor Chang emphasized that the city has long prioritized youth development. What began as a summer youth safety program has expanded into a year-round, cross-agency collaboration. By using big data analysis and risk prediction models, the city identifies key indicators and detects at-risk youth early. This allows social workers and officials to step in before problems arise. He noted that Taoyuan was among the first cities to develop a predictive approach to juvenile support. The city has shifted its strategy from reacting after problems occur to preventing them before they happen. This people-centered model is now seen as a leading example of child and youth protection in the international smart city community.
Mayor Chang added that since Taoyuan launched its smart city initiatives, many departments have received growing international recognition for their innovative projects. He encouraged the city team to continue pushing forward so Taoyuan can remain a leader in both smart governance and social innovation.