Athens in the universe of “smart cities”
The plan for the entrance of Athens in the universe of “smart cities” describing the “K” Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis and Kostas Champidis, first chief digital officer of the municipality. The ultimate goal, to drastically simplify the daily lives of citizens through the use of technology and digital integration of municipal services. Meanwhile, Katherine Oliver, special issues of “smart cities”, talking about the example of New York and the similarities with the Greek capital.
Hearing the term “smart city”, comes to your mind something like “Her” of Spike Jonze, a science fiction environment. Smart lighting, smart parking, smart applications, fly over buses and citizens permanently pinned the smile – something, anyway, very long compared to what we live today. Yet the technologies to drastically improve life in the city is available. To be launched, however, that Athens in the universe of “smart cities”, you first need to smoothen the ground to get the necessary foundations. Quietly, the project has been put into orbit. In recent years, the City of Athens derives valuable knowledge from large metropolises abroad and mainly in New York, aimed at optimal management of available technology and its diffusion in the public domain for the benefit of the citizen. This is how the idea for establishing the position of Chief Digital Officer for the first time in the Municipality of Athens, what will henceforth coordinate efforts.
Based on “smart city”
If magic, tomorrow, had the ability to change one thing in the Municipality of Athens, what would it be? “Good question … What all? I tell you better what envy. I envy project that, by encouraging local authorities, facilitate the market to develop high-speed broadband networks. This I think is the basis to talk about a smart city. If you have no network, fixed and mobile, you can not develop a proper way applications. The other would be more openness. This information is increasingly digitized, the data increase as volume, this volume is a public good that must be open. The openness of information enhances transparency, accountability and helps the citizen to be connected with the administration of the town, to check it. Me as a citizen with regards how a resident Ambelokipi connected with the city administration. If one goes to a seminar on smart cities, he learned about the clever lighting, several million euros. I am in favor of intelligent lighting, but if one can not find in three clicks the very playgrounds of the city or the friendship clubs for the elderly, has no meaning. It’s a battle of self-evident that we have to give and to win. ” Already steps have been taken in this direction. This year, for example, “I ran for the first time” online registration at kindergartens. “For us this was a model project because it was low-cost, implemented in 3-4 months and involves 6,000 families each year. Before that, someone had to pick up the papers to take them and go in Sepolia to the lodge, waiting in a queue to relentless pass the request and then waiting for the results. Now do it online, recorded application electronically, no one can interfere in it. Not only can save time and effort of many thousands of people, but enhance transparency. ” The City of Athens also provides 55 electronic services through the electronic service center, another low profile service, not polydiafimistei. These days completed and digitally signed, meaning that all documents in the municipality will be digitally signed by the officials, there is no handwritten signature.
Training employees
To this end they have trained 1,500 workers, that the entire document chain until the mayor signed digitally. The municipality will receive and digitally signed documents from the citizens. “This project was implemented with our own forces, internal, and we are very proud of it. Will cease now this movement documents printed and went hand in hand. ”
