The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) considers smart city as “the one that puts people at the center of development, incorporates Information and Communication Technologies in urban management and uses these elements as tools to stimulate the elaboration of an efficient government which includes collaborative planning processes and citizen participation. By promoting integrated and sustainable development, cities become more innovative, competitive, attractive and resilient.”
Novo Hamburgo is like this: digital and on the way to be a smarter city. It all started with IDB contributions, through the Integrated Municipal Development Program (PDMI), which supported the purchase of equipment and a geographic information system (GIS), promoting the integration of the cartographic base with the database of the municipal real estate register. This allowed to develop analyses and indicators, as well as to make data available in a real, dynamic and reliable way. The work became everyday more exciting, results began to appear, and other secretariats started to be interested. Today, many of them help to feed the database with information about themes as environment, rain sewage, economic development and mobility.
Following these investments, Novo Hamburgo hired a consortium to conduct the aerophotogrammetric survey with restitution of plots and buildings, implementation of geodesic landmarks and the housing re-registration of 29,000 units. This work, still in progress, is already bringing results!
The updated orthophoto of the municipality and geodesic landmarks have already been completed, allowing incredible results and precision in the work of topography and cartographic identification. The restitution of lots and buildings, both from the urban and rural area of the municipality, gives a better view of our city growth and development. Understanding the city is fundamental to efficient planning and better decision-making.
These news and technologies have aroused an appetite for more. Now the urban development and information technology teams are working together. The result? An innovative and accessible portal, SIGNH, which allows the search of information about plots, real estate registries, land use planning, surroundings, distances, export or import data, among other facilities, everything from office or even from home! SIGNH is a modern and real-time information tool.
The goal in all this? To bring more information, transparency, agility, less bureaucracy, sustainability, justice, integration and data management for the different secretariats. With all the data stored in one place, it is easier for the municipal government to understand about citizen’s issues and strive for solutions.
That’s it! A well-targeted and leveraged investment generate many results and many opportunities. There are five reasons to go on this path and build a smart city:
1) People’s satisfaction
The best result is people’s satisfaction, both employees and the population. The results come fast when the work is motivating. Satisfied employees help, develop and make greater efforts to overcome challenges. Technology makes it easier and creates a legion of fans. And the citizen feels the results, has easy access, without bureaucracy and a lot of agility.
2) More participation of civil society
The new technological base allows quick access, attracting more and more citizens interested in agility and work facilities. Access to information, from home or office, attracts more and more professionals, which have at their disposal a huge range of maps and data to improve and streamline projects. Society is interacting with the government and increasing overall results. It is also important to value tax justice, building the best for the city and for society.
3) Agility and debureaucratization
Computerization generates reliability and speed. The geoprocessing system brings multiple information, assisting public administration itself, as well as citizens and professionals.
4) Results measured by means of indicators
From the geoprocessing base, public administration acquires a set of information which allows raising indicators in the most diverse areas. These figures guide and help decision-making, protecting the city, providing growth forecasts, justifying and attracting investments.
5) Sustainability
The city for the present and for the future. The city which sees ahead and reinvents itself based on information. The city which carries out tax and social justice by generating resources perpetuates itself and brings a better future for each of its citizens.
Read this blog in Portuguese! Cinco vantagens de uma cidade inteligente