Mayor Annette Main said it put the district on the map internationally.
"This is fantastic news for us - in 2012 we were recognised for the relationship between innovation and employment and now we are on the list because of our existing cultural foundations.
"We were chosen because of the long-standing cultural institutions in our district, such as the Sarjeant Gallery, the Alexander Heritage and Research Library and the Whanganui Museum. These institutions have helped connect residents to each other and to the world over the years.
"We have niche businesses in Wanganui which have exported to the world, from the 'konka board' - a backing board for stucco cement manufactured in 1904 - to contemporary company Axiam, which exports 90 per cent of their product (high precision metals) to the world.
"We have a culture of business innovation and trade which forms part of our cultural heritage as well as an embedded attitude toward innovation and change - two key parts of the 'Community as a Canvas' theme."
Other initiatives included Computers in Homes and the Awa City Clubhouse.
Whanganui MP Chester Borrows said the district was again leading the country.
"For a provincial centre in a little country, broadband is opening up new ways to connect with people, whether for work, for learning or for play," he said.
The top seven intelligent communities will be announced in January and, from those, one will be chosen as the Intelligent Community of the Year.