How Open Data is fuelling Co-Creation in Municipalities

Local governments are increasingly exploring methods that allow co-creation of governmental services. They are continuously endeavouring to leverage the creative potential of citizens in order to deliver more innovative services with fewer resources. Indeed, in these times of economic scarcity, there is a clear strain on governments to focus on their core business, while citizens are demanding more and more efficient services, often requiring them to adapt to technologies such as mobile applications and social media.
Parallel to this evolution, there is a renewed interest, particularly in the EU, to develop participatory governance models. The adagio is that such governance models will decrease the effort and investment required by the administration, and empower citizens to solve real-world issues they confronted with themselves, thereby inciting them to take (co-)ownership of governmental tasks and increasing social responsibility. This implies a growing role for civil society to serve as a self- sustaining extension of government.
However, when trying to develop such models, many barriers arise. Still too often local governments are perceived as distant, intangible actors. This paper will examine how Open Data can play an important role in this transformative process, how it can be used to fuel co-creation in municipalities, break down barriers and increase transparency and participation.

ISBN:978-3-85403-308-0

Trefwoorden:smart city, open data