How to better involve Prague residents in planned projects in their place of residence? This is what a pilot project aimed at collecting opinions and feedback from the public through unique digital feedback boxes is trying to answer. These are designed to collect feedback from residents using simple buttons and provide data that can be used to plan the development of local infrastructure and services.
This pilot project, which is being led by the Prague municipal company Operátor ICT on behalf of the Czech capital, is being implemented as part of the international CommuniCity project, which aims to improve the quality of life of residents in cities.
"Using community data and collecting it directly in the field allows the city to get valuable feedback that very appropriately complements the other data sources the city works with. Thanks to this project, Prague will also have data from citizens who might not otherwise have expressed their opinions. The fact that the data is collected directly in the field also contributes to the fact that the relevance of this data is higher," adds Benedikt Kotmel, Chairman of the Board and CEO of the OICT municipal company.
The project was launched on Thursday, April 4, in Prague 6, where the digital feedback boxes were installed in cooperation with KITT6, a state-funded institution. Citizens of this district can now express their opinion and thus participate in the planning of local projects such as the reconstruction of playgrounds or improving safety at problematic intersections. These boxes, developed by researchers from the University of Louvain, will allow residents to express their opinions on planned projects and changes in their neighbourhood in a simple and easy-to-understand way. The results of the feedback collection will then be used to further develop the city's infrastructure and services.
"I am fond of saying that Prague 6 City District is always one step ahead, and that is no different now. I am glad that we can be the first municipal district to test this innovative way of obtaining information about citizens' opinions," says Jakub Stárek, Mayor of Prague 6, adding: "The use of direct feedback from citizens is crucial for the successful implementation of projects that are truly intended to improve their lives. The CommuniCity project gives us the opportunity to become an example of an inclusive and participatory approach to urban planning and development."
The implementer and know-how holder is a spin-off of the Belgian university KU Leuven called Citizen Dialogue Kit. The whole project is then part of the European Horizon Europe programme funded by the European Commission.
"The Citizen Dialogue Kit is a unique IoT tool that allows a wide range of people to be involved directly from a specific location in a given locality. Our completely wireless survey devices allow us to evaluate urban interventions, collect mobility data, gather feedback at cultural events and much more. People don't have to take the time to physically meet or think about filling out an online survey. We developed the Citizen Dialogue Kit based on more than a decade of research at KU Leuven in Belgium. This initiative and the other pilot projects carried out within the CommuniCity project are extremely valuable to us in evaluating our solution in different contexts. If they are successful, we hope to continue the collaboration in the future," adds Jorgos Coenen, one of the project's implementers and a researcher at the Department of Architecture at the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven).
About the CommuniCity project
CommuniCity is an international project focused on finding digital solutions to social challenges in cities. The project promotes collaboration between cities across Europe and offers a platform for sharing best practices and innovations in social development. The CommuniCity project is an example of how digital technologies can contribute to a more democratic and inclusive society by enabling citizens to participate in planning the development of where they live. Prague is engaging in the project to improve citizen participation in urban planning and development through innovative feedback collection.
The project launch event represents only the first step in Prague's long-term strategy to involve citizens in decision-making processes and improve the urban environment. All stakeholders and citizens are invited to participate in this project and contribute their views to a better future for Prague.
