Smartcity.brussels asked its visitors to respond to a survey on the progress of the smart city projects of Brussels municipalities. A few days after the municipal elections the responses have come in and show that online services and counters are the tools of choice of a smart municipality.
In May 2018, Brussels Smart City organised an event dedicated to Brussels’ local authorities, under the theme “Municipalities and citizens in the digital era”. On this occasion, three questions were asked to the visitors of the smartcity.brussels portal: “What is a smart city?”, How smart is your municipality?”, “Where should the efforts be directed to ensure that your municipality becomes smarter?”
A smart municipality = online services
The survey remained online until the municipal elections of 14 October 2018. Its results are now known.
According to the visitors of the Brussels Smart City portal, it is the services offering that above all defines (44% of respondents) a smart municipality. But municipalities are still too timid in this area, as they lack a strategy (two thirds of respondents). How to go further? By deploying digital tools (kiosks, electronic counters) for 43% of respondents and by raising citizens’ awareness (22%) and that of councillors, etc. (15%).
The responses in detail
What is a smart municipality?
- A municipality which facilitates administrative procedures by offering online services or electronic counters: 44%
- A municipality which offers useful (a) mobile application(s) for the well-being of its citizens (mobility, streets, waste, etc.): 26%
- A municipality which uses social networks or e-participation platforms to strengthen dialogue with its citizens: 15%
- I do not know: 6%
- None of these responses: 9%
How smart is your municipality?
- My municipality has no clear smart policy: 33%
- My municipality has a desire for transformation, but no defined strategy: 32%
- My municipality has a pro-active policy and is working on it: 16%
- I do not know: 16%
- None of these responses: 3%
How should efforts be directed to ensure that your municipality gets smarter?
- Invest (more) in digital tools (kiosks, electronic counters, etc.): 43%
- (Better) raise awareness among citizens of the issues involved in digital transformation: 22%
- (Better) raise awareness of councillors, elected officials and public servants to the issues involved in the digital transformation: 15%
- Provide training for public servants: 7%
- Allocate a (larger) budget to social media: 4%
- I do not know: 6%
- None of these responses: 3%
