Duisburg's Smart City: Citizens' participation for sustainable future!

Duisburg's Smart City: Citizens' participation for sustainable future!

Duisburg, Deutschland - In Duisburg it's time for a breath of fresh air again! The city is committed to the topic of smart city and is working hard on a revised version of the master plan, which operates under the sonorous name "Masterplan 2.0". This initiative should not only advance digitization, but also focus on people and their needs. It is already evident that the citizen participation, which was until the end of May, met with lively interest, as municipality 21 reports.

Citizens had the opportunity to take part in interactive workshops and to contribute their opinions in an online survey. In particular, the participants have placed value on visible and concrete changes in public space. What couldn't be better designed in the city? The wish list included the strengthening of bicycle traffic and the expansion of local public transport (public transport). In addition, it was proposed to check alternative traffic concepts and further expand the digital infrastructure.

sustainability and crisis prevention in the focus

A central concern of the citizens was also the crisis prevention, because the increasing extreme weather events are increasingly becoming increasingly important. The topics of ecological sustainability and resilient urban development were just as loudly discussed, which paves the way for a more responsible handling of technology. A real gain for everyone is the "Mein Duisburg app", which emerged in the citizens' survey as an important building block. The defect detector was also regarded as a sensible measure to quickly remedy grievances, which shows that the city administration takes the concerns of its citizens seriously.

The results of the participation should now flow into the further planning of the Smart City Initiative so that Duisburg remains future -proof and worth living. The city receives additional support from the "National Dialogue platform Smart Cities", which combines around 70 experts in order to tackle the challenges of digitization together. The Federal Ministry of Living, Urban Development and Building has also been committed to the topic and supports cities like Duisburg in their digital transformation, such as BMWSB explained.

digital transformation for all

The Smart City Charter, which was launched in 2017, calls for an active design of digitization in the sense of sustainable urban development. It is not only paid to technological, but also social and economic aspects. The focus is on creating a resilient city in which security and regional self -sufficiency are very important. These goals fit perfectly with the feedback of the citizens who demand more transparency and participation.

Duisburg once again shows that citizen participation is more than an empty word. With the master plan 2.0, not only the city is to be further developed, but also the trust of citizens in politics is to be strengthened. With such initiatives, the city is on the right track in order to not only promote digitization, but also to increase the quality of life for everyone. Let's see what else will develop, but the course are already set!